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No. 1 Cavaliers Pound Wright State for DH Sweep
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 1 Virginia baseball team finished off a hot day at the plate with a 13-3 victory over Wright State, Sunday afternoon, in the second game of a doubleheader at Davenport Field. In the first game, UVa pounded out 18 hits in an 11-5 win over Dartmouth.
Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) had a big game at the plate, going 3-for-5 with five RBI. He had a key two-run triple to break open a one-run game in the seventh inning and then had a three-run double in the eighth inning. Cannon had eight RBI over the weekend.
Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) went 2-for-6 against Wright State and finished the weekend 11-for-20 with seven runs scored. Out of the nine-hole, Reed Gragnani (Fr., Richmond, Va.) went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Eight of the Cavaliers recorded hits, with seven posting at least two.
After struggling offensively in the opening game of the weekend against Wright State, UVa (9-2) exploded over the final three games, scoring 38 runs while racking up 52 hits, including 17 extra-base hits.
Neal Davis (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) fired 1.1 scoreless innings of relief and was credited with the victory to improve to 2-0 this year. Kevin Arico (Jr., Flemington, N.J.) helped UVa out of a tight situation in the seventh inning and pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn his fourth save.
Virginia starting pitcher Cody Winiarski (Jr., Franksville, Wis.) earned a no decision after working 5.1 innings and giving up three earned runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
Wright State reliever Michael Schum (0-3) pitched one inning and gave up an earned run and three hits to take the loss. The Raiders (3-7) used eight pitchers in the contest, including four in the eighth inning.
Virginia opened the scoring in the second inning. Jarrett Parker (Jr., Stafford, Va.) led off by crushing a double high off the Blue Monster in dead center field. He advanced to third on a Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) groundout and scored on a John Hicks (So., Sandy Hook, Va.) groundout.
Wright State responded with a pair of runs in the third to take the lead. With one out Justin Kopale singled to right and he scored with two outs on a triple to center by Jake Hibberd. Casey McGrew followed with a single to center to give WSU a 2-1 lead.
The Cavaliers scored two of its own in the bottom of the third. Gosselin led off with a single and stole second. Danny Hultzen (So., Bethesda, Md.) then drew a walk and both runners scampered home on a triple to right-center by Dan Grovatt (So., Tabernacle, N.J.).
Wright State knotted the score with a run in the sixth. McGrew led off with a ground-rule double to left field. After Quentin Case sacrificed McGrew to third, Tristan Moore walked, and Davis replaced Winiarski. Davis gave up a single to left to Ryan Ashe to score McGrew with the tying run.
Virginia quickly took the lead back in its half of the sixth. With two out and John Barr (Jr., Ivyland, Pa.) at second base after a double, Reed Gragnani (Fr., Richmond, Va.) singled to left, plating a sliding Barr for the go-ahead run.
The Cavaliers stretched their lead with three in the seventh inning. With one out, Grovatt walked and Proscia singled. After a fly out by Parker, WSU brought Jordan Marker in to face Cannon, who tripled to right field to score both runners. Hicks followed with a single deep behind second base to plate Cannon and push the UVa lead to 7-3.
Virginia took advantage of the Raiders’ pitching wildness in the eighth inning, scoring six times against four Wright State pitchers with two men retired. Jordan Wolfe walked a pair of batters, and Michael Meintel came on and promptly walked Proscia and Parker to force in a run. Cody Kopilchack entered and gave up a first-pitch double to Cannon, which cleared the bases. Hicks was then hit by a pitch and Barr walked to load the bases. Gragnani then singled to center to plate Cannon and Hicks and push the UVa advantage to 13-3.
The Cavaliers will play five of their next six games away from Davenport Field. UVa plays at William and Mary at 5 p.m. Wednesday before traveling to Florida State over the weekend for an ACC-opening three-game series.