Virginia Rallies to Take Game 1 of DH Against Maryland, 4-2

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 3-ranked Virginia baseball team scored three runs in the eighth inning – all after two batters were out – in rallying for a 4-2 win over Maryland in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Davenport Field. All four Virginia runs came with two outs.

With two outs in the eighth, Maryland committed errors on consecutive pitches and Virginia (23-2, 7-1 ACC) made the Terrapins and reliever Korey Wacker pay. Steven Proscia (Jr., Suffern, N.Y.), who went 3-for-4 in the game, singled to left-center to plate John Hicks (Jr., Sandy Hook, Va.) and tie the game. Kenny Swab (Sr., Kernersville, N.C.) then hit a rocket off the leg of Wacker and the ball bounded into foul territory and past diving first baseman Gary Schneider. Mitchell Shifflett (Fr., Midlothian, Va.) scored all the way from second base on the play to give UVa a 3-2 lead.

Pinch hitter Jared King (Jr., Radford, Va.) then ripped a single to center to bring Proscia home and push the lead to 4-2. Branden Kline (So., Frederick, Md.) came on in the ninth to shut down the Terrapins and nail down his ACC-best ninth save of the season.

Kyle Crockett (Fr., Poquoson, Va.) recorded the final two outs in the eighth innings to earn the win and improve to 2-0 this season. Wacker (1-1) surrendered three unearned runs and three hits in the eighth inning to take the loss.

Despite receiving no-decisions, both starting pitchers were extremely impressive. Virginia’s Tyler Wilson (Sr., Midlothian, Va.) established career highs in innings pitched (7.1) and strikeouts (11). He allowed just two runs (one earned), four hits and a walk. Maryland’s David Carroll pitched seven innings, giving up one earned run, four hits and two walks while fanning a pair. Carroll retired 17 straight batters from the second to the seventh inning.

The teams combined for just 12 hits. Proscia was the lone Cavalier with more than one hit; with two hits, Ryan Holland was the only Terrapin who notched more than one hit.

Maryland (11-12, 1-7 ACC) wasted little time in grabbing the early lead. Charlie White singled to start the game and moved up on an Alfredo Rodriguez bunt. Holland then reached on an error, with White scoring on the play.

Virginia squandered a big scoring opportunity in the second inning. Ryan Levine (So., Hackensack, N.J.) drew a leadoff walk and Proscia singled to center. Carroll then balked to move the runners to second and third. Swab then struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner. With the infield pulled in, David Coleman (Sr., Richmond, Va.) grounded to Holland at second base, who fired home to nail Levine at the plate. Reed Gragnani (So., Richmond, Va.) grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Terrapins cashed in on their scoring chance in the third inning. Alex Ramsey led off with a single and moved to second on a White sacrifice. With two out Holland singled up the middle to plate Ramsay.

Carroll dominated after the second inning, retiring 17 straight batters after putting the first two runners on in the second. Proscia broke the drought with a double up the left-center field alley with two out in the seventh. After Swab walked, Coleman singled to left-center to score Proscia and cut the lead in half. UVa proceeded to load the bases before Keith Werman (Jr., Vienna, Va.) lined out to center to end the threat.