Cavaliers Defeat Maryland in Game 1 of Super Regional, 5-3
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June 5, 2015
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Kevin Doherty (Jr., Laytonsville, Md.) hit a bases-clearing double to cap a five-run eighth inning as the Virginia baseball team rallied for a 5-3 victory over Maryland in Game 1 of the NCAA Charlottesville Super Regional Friday at Davenport Field. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday and will be televised by ESPNU.
If Maryland wins Game 2 of the series on Saturday, a decisive Game 3 will be played Sunday at 3 p.m. (ESPN2 or ESPNU). The winner of the Charlottesville Super Regional advances to the College World Series next week in Omaha, Neb.
Virginia starting pitcher Connor Jones (So., Chespeake, Va.) improved to 7-2 on the season, allowing three earned runs on three hits over seven innings to earn the win. Josh Sborz (Jr., McLean, Va.) pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit, to record his 14th save of the season, tying for the ACC lead.
Maryland starter Mike Shawaryn allowed two runs on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings. Terrapin closer Kevin Mooney (3-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits in two-thirds of inning of work.
Matt Thaiss (So., Jackson, N.J.), Pavin Smith (Fr., Jupiter, Fla.) and Robbie Coman (Jr., Lake Worth, Fla.) all had two hits to lead the Cavalier offense, which finished with 10 hits. Doherty led Virginia with three RBIs.
Maryland’s four hits were spread over four players, with LaMonte Wade leading the Terrapins with a two-run double.
Limited to five hits by Shawaryn and trailing 3-0 through seven innings, Virginia rallied to take the lead with five runs in the top of the eighth. Back-to-back one-out hits by Daniel Pinero (So., Toronto, Ontario) and Thaiss chased Shawaryn from the game. Kenny Towns (Sr., Burke, Va.) singled to right on the first pitch of the game from Mooney to drive in Pinero with the Cavaliers’ first run. Smith followed with a single up the middle to score Thaiss and cut the deficit to 3-2. After a two-out intentional walk to Joe McCarthy (Jr., Scranton, Pa.) loaded the bases, Doherty gave Virginia the lead as his double off the left-centerfield wall cleared the bases and gave the Cavaliers a 5-3 lead.
The game was a pitchers’ duel for much of the way and remained scoreless until Maryland (the designated home team) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after Virginia could not take advantage of having a runner reach third in the second, fourth and fifth innings. After three walks loaded the bases, Wade’s two-out double scored a pair of runs to give the Terrapins a 2-0 lead.
The Terrapins extended the lead to 3-0 with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Jose Cuas led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. He scored on a suicide squeeze as Kevin Biondic successfully laid down a bunt as Cuas broke for home.