Virginia Cruises Through Saturday Double Header Sweep of Rider and Cornell

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The eighth-ranked Virginia baseball team swept a Saturday double header, averting Rider 4-1 before dismissing Cornell 14-1 in the second game at Davenport Field. Virginia improves to 12-1 with the victories.

Ryan Levine (So., Montvale, N.J.), from the designated hitter position, finished the twin bill going 5-for-8 with four runs scored and three RBI. UVa also received two quality starts from its pitching staff, highlighted by Cody Winiarski’s (Sr., Madison, Wis.) mastery though 7.0 innings against Cornell. The right-handed pitcher allowed no runs, three hits and struck out five batters.

Game 1 Virginia 4, Rider 1

Behind stellar pitching of Tyler Wilson (Sr., Midlothian, Va.) and two RBI from Levine, the Cavaliers were able to top Rider in the first game Saturday, 4-1. UVa tallied four runs on eight hits, while the right-handed Wilson limited the Broncs to four hits to move to 3-0 on the season.

Rider scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Designated hitter Steve Galella walked with one out and advanced to second when Mike O’Reilly walked two batters later. Shortstop John Ralson dropped a double into right field past Kenny Swab (Sr., Kernersville, N.C.), scoring Galella. The UVa hurler, Wilson, helped himself out of the jam by inducing Brandon Cotton to ground out to second, ending the Rider threat.

Virginia answered in the home half of the third inning, tying the game at 1-1. Swab reached first on a miscue by Ralston, the Rider shortstop, and advanced to second on a balk by Broncs’ starter Joe Calogero. Jared King (Jr., Radford, Va.) singled to center field, advancing Swab to third, who later scored on an RBI single by John Barr (Sr., Ivyland, Pa.).

An inning later the Cavaliers took a two-run lead in the bottom of the third inning, 3-1. Keith Werman (Jr., Vienna, Va.) led the frame off with a four-pitch walk and stole second base with one out. Levine singled to left field, scoring Werman. Steven Proscia (Jr., Suffern, N.Y.) laced a double into left-center field, scoring Levine, capping the scoring.

UVa added an insurance run in the seventh inning when Mitchell Shifflett (Fr., Midlothian, Va.) walked to start the inning. Chris Taylor’s (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) bunt single put runners on first and second, setting the stage for a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Werman, placing runners at second and third with one out. John Hicks (Jr., Sandy Hook, Va.) was intentionally walked to load the bases for Levine. The designated hitter lined a sacrifice fly to left field, giving UVa the 4-1 advantage.

Wilson went 6.2 innings for the Cavaliers, scattering four hits, striking out seven Broncs and walking three. The right-handed pitcher was lifted with two outs in the sixth for Kyle Crockett (Fr., Poquoson, Va.). Branden Kline (So., Frederick, Md.) entered the game in the eighth inning with a runner on first and no outs. Kline picked up his fourth save of the year, retiring all batters he faced, including inducing a double play to end the eighth inning.

Game 2 Virginia – Cornell

The Cavaliers pounded out a season-best 18 hits and defeated the Big Red 14-2. David Coleman (Sr., Richmond, Va.) led UVa with 5 RBI, while going 3-for-4. Swab also went 3-of-4, while Levine was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

Virginia struck early in game two, taking a 2-0 lead in the home half of the second inning. Danny Hultzen (Jr., Bethesda, Md.) led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on Proscia’s single through the left side. Hultzen and Proscia advanced a base on a passed ball. Swab walked to load the bases for Coleman. The right fielder singled up the middle, scoring Hultzen and Proscia for two RBI.

UVa put two more runs on the board in the fourth frame, giving the Cavaliers a 4-0 lead. Levine singled through the left side and advanced to second when Swab singled to center field. The duo each advanced a base on a passed ball, putting runners at second and third with zero outs. Coleman flew out to center on the sacrifice fly, scoring Levine. Werman’s sacrifice bunt to first gave UVa its fourth run of the game as Swab scored.

The Cavaliers plated six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the seventh inning, storming out to a 10-0 advantage. Werman started things off with a double off of Cornell’s reliever, Joe Sinopoli, who came in to work the sixth inning. Reed Gragnani (So., Richmond, Va.) hit a ground-rule double down the right field line, which became lodged in the fence around the bullpen area. Werman scored on the hit. Hultzen tripled into the right-center gap, scoring Gragnani. Proscia’s single up the middle scored Hultzen. After Proscia was caught stealing, Levine ripped a double to right field. Swab followed with a single and advanced to second on the throw home as Levine scored. Coleman doubled to center field, driving in Swab to cap the inning’s run production.

Cornell broke through in the top of the eighth inning, scoring two runs, cutting its deficit to 10-2. Brenton Peters doubled to left, starting a two-out rally. Mickey Brodsky singled to center, scoring Peters. Next, three-straight Cornell batters walked, plating Brodsky on a free pass to Phil Mullan. Artie Lewicki (Fr., Wyckoff, N.J.) came in relief of Shane Halley (Jr., Burke, Va.) and ended the threat by striking out Ben Swinford.

UVa pushed another four runs across in the eighth inning, taking a 14-2 lead. Taylor doubled down the left field line to start things off and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Taylor scored when Shifflett, entering the game as a pinch hitter, grounded out to the shortstop. Colin Harrington (So., Johnstown, Pa.) notched a pinch-hit single to center field and advanced to second when King grounded out to third base. Levine singled and advanced to second when Tyler Biddix (Sr., Richmond, Va.) delivered a pinch-hit and singled to center field, driving in Harrington. Biddix scored on a Swab single and Levine scored on a Coleman double down the right field line, finishing the scoring.

Lewicki tossed a perfect ninth, finishing the weekend sweep.

Winiarski went 7.0 strong innings, picking up the win and running his record to 2-1. Jadd Schmeltzer made his first appearance of the season, picking up the loss.

Virginia returns to Davenport Field on Tuesday when the Marshall Thundering Herd visit Charlottesville for a single game. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.