#1 UVa. falls in 13: SC ends Cavs run in CWS
Virginia had the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the 13th inning. South Carolina was the team dogpiling in the bottom of the inning.
Adam Matthews ran home from third after the second of two throwing errors by UVa. relief pitcher Cody Winiarski, and South Carolina advanced to the College World Series finals with a 3-2 win over the top-seeded Cavs.
Virginia (56-12) had loaded the bases with one out in the 12th before centerfielder Shane Halley, in as a defensive replacement and with one hit all season, hit into a double play on a 2-0 pitch by SC closer Matt Price (7-3).
Price somehow wiggled out of another bases-loaded jam in the 13th, this one with no outs, striking out Super Regionals hero Chris Taylor and getting John Barr, who had three hits on the night, to line into a double play.
Winiarski (6-4) came in relief of closer Branden Kline, who threw 107 pitches in five tense innings out of the pen. Brady Thomas led off the inning with a single, and was replaced on the basepaths by Matthews. Peter Mooney bunted back to Winiarski, who had time to get Matthews at second but threw the ball into center, leaving the Gamecocks with runners at first and second with no outs.
Robert Beary followed with a bunt that Winiarski fielded. He tried to cut down Matthews again, but the throw got past third baseman Stephen Proscia, allowing Matthews to scamper home.
Virginia had ace Danny Hultzen on the mound with an early 1-0 lead, and Hultzen was dealing at the outset, posting eight strikeouts through three innings. But UVa. coach Brian O’Connor lifted Hultzen, who was suffering from un undisclosed illness.
Kyle Crockett gave up a pair of runs in relief in the fourth but settled down to keep the Cavs close. Virginia tied it in the eight when Chris Taylor reached on an error and scored an out later on an error by Mooney on a ground ball off the bat of John Hicks.
South Carolina (53-14) will face SEC rival Florida (53-17) in the best-of-three CWS final beginning Monday night.
UVa. wins Super Regional opener
No. 1 national seed Virginia blanked UC Irvine 6-0 in front of 5,050 fans at Davenport Field Saturday afternoon.
Danny Hultzen and Cody Winiarski combined for the shutout, the Cavaliers’ NCAA-leading 16th of the season. Jared King led Virginia offensively, going 3-for-4, including a 3-run homer. Chris Taylor and Steven Proscia each had two hits for the Cavaliers. Sean Madigan reached base three times to lead UC Irvine, drawing three walks.
Game two of the best-of-three series is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at Davenport Field. The game will be televised by ESPNU. Continue reading “UVa. wins Super Regional opener” »
MLB Draft Roundup: Day Three
Virginia right-handed pitcher Cody Winiarski (Sr., Franksville, Wis.) and outfielder John Barr (Sr., Ivyland, Pa.) each were selected Wednesday in day three of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Virginia finished with eight draft picks, which tied for 11th most among all Division I baseball programs.
It also marked the second-most draft picks Virginia has boasted in one year – one behind the 2010 team.
Winiarski was chosen in the 36th round (1,101 overall) by the Chicago White Sox. Barr was a 39th-round pick (1,178 overall) of the Cleveland Indians. Continue reading “MLB Draft Roundup: Day Three” »
#1 UVa. rolls over VCU in front of record crowd
The top-ranked Virginia baseball team headed into its exam break on a high note with a 14-3 road victory over VCU on a beautiful Tuesday evening at The Diamond in Richmond, Va. A crowd of 5,421 attended the game, marking the largest crowd for a college baseball game in Virginia state history.
The heart of the Cavaliers’ order had a big night, going 6-for-11 with nine runs scored and five RBI. Jared King (Jr., Radford,Va.) went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and a pair of RBI out of the six-hole, while Kenny Swab (Sr., Kernersville, N.C.) was 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Cleanup hitter Steven Proscia (Jr., Suffern, N.Y.) homered, drove in a pair and scored twice. The Cavaliers finished with 17 hits, one shy of a season high. Continue reading “#1 UVa. rolls over VCU in front of record crowd” »
#1 UVa. ready for Big Dance
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Who gets the ball for #1 Virginia’s NCAA Tournament opener against VCU on Friday? That’s the question of the day for coach Brian O’Connor.
“We’re still in the process of evaluating the teams. I know that it will be either Cody Winiarski or Danny Hultzen,” said O’Connor in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, looking ahead to the 4 p.m. Friday matchup with the Rams, the champions of the Colonial, who dropped a 10-5 decision to UVa. at Davenport Stadium on May 4. Continue reading “#1 UVa. ready for Big Dance” »
