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No. 10 Baseball Improves to 24-4, Downs Norfolk State
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Jarrett Parker (So., Stafford, Va.) and Phil Gosselin (So., West Chester, Pa.) each recorded three hits as the No. 10 Virginia baseball team earned a 6-2 win over Norfolk State Wednesday night at Davenport Field. Parker swatted his seventh home run and knocked in two, while Gosselin doubled twice as the two combined to go 6-for-8 at the top of the UVa batting order.
Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) had the go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning, and David Coleman (So., Richmond, Va.) added a two-run single and scored twice. Virginia went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left a season-high 14 runners on base.
On the mound, Shane Halley (Fr., Burke, Va.) tossed a career-high 3.1 innings and gave up only one hit while striking out three to earn the win and improve to 2-0 this year. The Cavalier bullpen of Halley, Justin Thompson (Fr., Danville, Va.) and Brad Grove (Sr., Glen Allen, Va.) was solid, allowing just four hits over the final five innings and not walking a batter.
NSU reliever Ryan Davis (0-2) took the loss and allowed two earned runs and three walks in 1.1 innings. He did not give up a hit but struck out one.
UVa starting pitcher Jeff Lorick (Jr., Duluth, Ga.) went 3.2 innings and gave up two runs (one earned), four hits and a walk while striking out four. NSU starter Jason Barker stymied the Cavaliers for much of the evening and allowed one earned run, five hits and three walks while fanning three in 4.1 innings.
Norfolk State (6-10) scored first with a run in the second inning on a Cameron Parsons groundout to plate Brandon Hairston, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.
Virginia (24-4) scored its first run in the third inning when Parker ripped a one-out solo home run to right field. It marked his seventh home run this year and was Virginia’s 26th this season, topping the Cavaliers’ total from all of 2008.
Norfolk State broke the tie in the next inning. After Lorick loaded the bases with two out, Halley came on in relief and uncorked a wild pitch to score Jermaine Berry. That marked the final run for the Spartans, who then were locked down by Halley, Thompson and Grove.
UVa took the lead in the sixth inning, loading the bases and then scoring on a two-out, two-run single by Hultzen to left-center field which brought home Coleman and Parker.
The Cavaliers then scored three more runs in the seventh inning. Coleman ripped a single to left field to score Franco Valdes (Jr., Miami, Fla.) and Jared King (Fr., Radford, Va.), moved to second on the throw home and advanced to third when catcher Cameron Parsons’ throw to second sailed into center field. Coleman then scored on a Parker’s third hit of the evening a single to right field.
Virginia returns to ACC play this weekend when it entertains Maryland in a three-game series. The teams are scheduled to play at 7 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.