No. 1 Virginia Baseball Routs Rhode Island, 22-2

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The top-ranked Virginia baseball team rolled to a 22-2 victory over Rhode Island Saturday afternoon at Davenport Field. Every Virginia starter had at least one hit by the fourth inning as the Cavaliers piled up 26 total hits – most in the seven-year tenure of head coach Brian O’Connor. UVa also scored its most runs since a 27-1 win over Coppin State on Feb. 28, 2008.

Every Virginia starter had at least one hit by the fourth inning, and 13 Cavaliers recorded hits. UVa’s eight- and nine-hole hitters each earned four hits, as Kenny Swab (Jr., Kernersville, N.C.) set a career high with four hits, while Keith Werman (So., Vienna, Va.) tied a career best with four knocks.

Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.), Jarrett Parker (Jr., Stafford, Va.) and Steven Proscia (So., Suffern, N.Y.) each had three hits. Proscia homered, scored four times and drove in three, while Cannon posted four RBI and three runs scored. Stephen Bruno (Fr., Audubon, N.J.) added a grand slam.

Robert Morey (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.) started for the Cavaliers and worked seven innings, allowing two earned runs, four hits and two walks while striking out four. He earned his first win of the year and improved to 1-1. Dan Grovatt (Jr., Tabernacle, N.J.) and Branden Kline (Fr., Frederick, Md.) each pitched a scoreless inning to wrap up the game. UVa pitchers have allowed two runs and 10 hits while fanning 23 in the first two games of the series.

URI starter Ken Graveline (0-1) worked four innings, allowing eight runs (six earned) and 11 hits while striking out two.

Virginia (5-1) scored in six of its eight opportunities at the plate. The Cavaliers went scoreless in the first inning but exploded over the next six frames.

In the second inning, UVa scored three runs. Parker and Cannon hit back-to-back doubles to start the inning to give UVa a 1-0 lead. John Hicks (So., Sandy Hook, Va.) then hit a rocket into the trees in left-center field for his first home run of the year.

Rhode Island (0-5) scored its first run of the weekend in the third inning when Dan Haverstick homered to right field.

Virginia countered with three runs in its half of the third. Cannon started the scoring with a single to score Proscia. After a Rhode Island error loaded the bases with one out, Werman hit a sacrifice fly to score Parker, and Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) singled to plate Cannon.

The Cavaliers added a pair of runs in the fourth on a two-run home run into the left-field bleachers by Proscia and then poured it on in the fifth by sending 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run outburst. UVa racked up nine hits in the frame, highlighted by RBI singles from Chris Taylor (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.), Proscia, Parker, Werman and Gosselin and a two-run double by Cannon.

Virginia added five scores in the sixth inning, with four coming on Bruno’s first career home run – a grand slam to deep right-center field. UVa tacked on a run in the seventh when Reed Gragnani (Fr., Richmond, Va.) grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Tyler Biddix (Jr., Richmond, Va.), who doubled to lead off the inning.

Virginia goes for the three-game series sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday.