No. 18 Virginia Baseball Downs VMI, 10-3
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The No. 18 Virginia baseball team pushed its record to 14-0 with a 10-3 victory over VMI Wednesday at Davenport Field. Dan Grovatt (So., Tabernacle, N.J.) led a 12-hit attack with three hits and three RBI. He also ran his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games.
Phil Gosselin (So., West Chester, Pa.) had two hits and three runs scored, while Corey Hunt (R-So., Charlottesville, Va.) also had two hits and two RBI for the Cavaliers.
Virginia’s 14-game winning streak is tied with Georgia for the longest active streak in the nation. The Cavaliers and Bulldogs are the lone remaining undefeated teams this year in Division I.
Both teams went with a pitcher-by-committee approach today, with each using six pitchers. UVa starter Tyler Wilson (So., Midlothian, Va.) earned the win after tossing two innings and allowing two hits. He improved to 2-0 this year. VMI starter Jeremy Brown (1-2) took the loss after tossing the first two frames and giving up two earned runs, two hits and a walk.
Virginia took a first-inning lead which it would never relinquish when Grovatt hit a triple off the base of the wall in right-center, scoring Jarrett Parker (So., Stafford, Va.) and Gosselin.
UVa broke the game open with five runs in the fourth inning as the Cavaliers sent 10 batters to the plate. With one out, Tyler Cannon (Jr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) singled to score Grovatt, who led off the inning with a double. A two-out Tim Brust balk allowed Cannon to score and opened the floodgates. Hunt followed with a bunt single to score John Hicks (Fr., Sandy Hook, Va.). After Parker was hit by a pitch, Gosselin and Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) ripped back-to-back RBI singles to give UVa a 7-0 advantage.
The Cavaliers stretched their lead with a run in the fifth on Hunt’s second RBI single of the game and another run in the sixth on a Grovatt RBI single.
VMI (6-8) scored twice in the seventh inning on a Brian Sandridge RBI groundout and a Robert Morey (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) wild pitch.
UVa scored its final run in the eighth inning on pinch hitter David Coleman’s (So., Richmond, Va.) single to score Gosselin. The Keydets added a run in the ninth on a solo home run by Jordan Ballard.
UVa returns to ACC action this weekend, playing No. 14 Florida State in a three-game series at Davenport Field. It is the Seminoles’ first trip to Charlottesville since 2004. The teams will play at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Notes on Saturday Baseball/Lacrosse
With both the top-ranked UVa men’s lacrosse team facing Towson and the No. 18 baseball team hosting No. 14 Florida State this Saturday at 1 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and to purchase their tickets in advance. Tickets are available online at VirginiaSports.com or may be ordered by calling 1-800-542-UVA1. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the athletics ticket office in Bryant Hall, Monday Friday from 9 a.m.5 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased on Saturday at the entrance to Klckner Stadium and Davenport Field. The events are ticketed separately. Reserved tickets for each game are $9 and general admission tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth, seniors, and UVa faculty and staff. The ticket booths will open at 11 a.m.
Parking is available for both games in the University Hall and John Paul Jones Arena parking lots.