Halley shines in first start with Generals
Two nights earlier, Shane Halley was manning center field in the late innings of one of the more memorable College World Series games ever played. Sunday night, Halley, a University of Virginia junior, was in center at Kate Collins Field, and picking up the game-winning RBI for the Waynesboro Generals.
“The College World Series was a blast. We had a great time. We were welcomed with wide arms there. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to,” said Halley, an outfielder and pitcher for the top-ranked Cavs, who were knocked out of the College World Series by South Carolina in a 3-2, 13-inning final on Friday night.
Halley hit a one-out, fourth-inning fly ball to left field that scored Dykota Spiess from third. The sacrifice fly made it 2-1 Waynesboro, and that score held up as the final behind a game performance by starting pitcher Tim Leather, who gave up a run on four hits in seven innings on the mound.
Halley went 1-for-2 at the plate, getting on base on a seventh-inning single.
Not bad for that quick transition from one season to another.
“I wanted to get on the field to start playing, get some ABs. I want to get as many ABs as possible. This is my chance,” Halley said.
#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.
Weekend Watchdog: Omaha heading to final two
It’s the second weekend of the College World Series - as the two brackets crown their winners. And Virginia fights to stay alive.
The top-seeded Cavaliers battle California in an elimination game Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The winner advances to Friday’s 7 p.m. matchup with South Carolina. A pair of SEC teams remain in the other bracket, as Vanderbilt takes on Florida Friday at 1 p.m.
If South Carolina and Florida win Friday, they advance to the best-of-three championship series starting Monday. If either loses, there’s a game Saturday to decide the bracket winner.
The Nationals get a shot of Saturday afternoon coverage this weekend, as they visit the White Sox. Other games in the time slot include Angels-Dodgers, Indians at Giants and Mets taking on the Rangers. TBS shows the Rockies’ visit to Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon, while ESPN has Indians-Giants Sunday night.
Before heading to Chicago, the Nationals host Seattle in a Thursday afternoon contest on MASN. Games Friday and Sunday are on MASN, while the Orioles take on Cincinnati on MASN2 (Saturday night on MASN).
Wimbledon has reached the middle of its fortnight. ESPN2 has early coverage Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 7 a.m. NBC has highlights Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Will there be an NBA season in 2011-2012? There will be a draft, Thursday on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
On the road, NASCAR visits Sonoma Sunday at 3 p.m. on TNT. The Nationwide Series Road America race will be Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Indy Car series visits Iowa Saturday at 8 p.m. on Versus.
Grab your umbrella and watch the Travelers Championship Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. on CBS.
The D.C. United host Houston Saturday at 6 p.m. on Comcast, while ESPN shows Chicago vs. New York Sunday at 2 p.m.
Germany hosts the women’s World Cup, and opens play against Canada Sunday at 11 a.m. on ESPN. Nigeria plays France at 8:45 a.m. on ESPN2.
In the WNBA, the Mystics take on Tulsa Sunday at 4 p.m. on Comcast.
Gamecocks knock #1 UVa. to elimination game in CWS
Fourth-seeded South Carolina scored three times in the first inning and never trailed in a 7-1 College World Series win over the Virginia baseball team Tuesday evening in front of 22,027 fans at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The top-seeded Cavaliers will play California at 7 p.m. Thursday (ET) on ESPN2 in an elimination game. The winner of that contest will advance to face South Carolina (52-14) on Friday evening.
Virginia (55-11) tied a season low with five hits, with Chris Taylor racking up a pair of knocks as he extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. He is 15-for-34 (.441) in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Will Roberts took the loss for Virginia and fell to 11-2 this season after allowing six runs (three earned), eight hits and a walk in 3.1 innings. UVa’s bullpen limited the Gamecocks to five hits and a run over the final 5.2 innings.
South Carolina reliever John Taylor (7-1) worked 4.1 shutout innings, allowing just a hit and a walk to earn the win. USC starter Colby Holmes worked 4.1 innings, giving up a run, four hits and a walk while fanning seven.
After a 68-minute rain delay to start the day, South Carolina took advantage of uncharacteristically sloppy UVa defense to score three times in the first inning. Roberts worked quickly in the inning by retiring the first two hitters on five total pitches, including striking out leadoff hitter Evan Marzilli on three straight strikes. Roberts looked to be out of the inning on eight total pitches when Christian Walker hit a 1-1 offering toward third base, but Steven Proscia bobbled the ball for an error.
With Walker on first base Jackie Bradley Jr. deposited Roberts’ first offering into the right centerfield gap for a run-scoring double. Adrian Morales hit a high chopper that bounced over Jared King’s head at first base, scoring Bradley Jr. South Carolina capped the scoring spurt when Brady Thomas doubled off the centerfield wall, plating Morales.
South Carolina added another run in the top of the third inning with two outs. Morales started the rally with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a Thomas single to centerfield. Morales came around and scored on a Peter Mooney single to right field, giving the Gamecocks the 4-0 advantage.
The Gamecocks plated two more in the top of the fourth inning, storming out to a 6-0 advantage. Jake Williams led the inning off with a triple into the right-centerfield gap. He scored when Marzilli doubled to left-centerfield on the following pitch. Scott Wingo advanced Marzilli to third on a sacrifice bunt, which spelled the end of the night for Roberts. UVa head coach Brian O’Connor went to the bullpen and brought Cody Winiarski into the game, giving Roberts his shortest start of the season at 3.1 innings. Winiarski’s first offering of the game to Walker was tagged down the left field line for a RBI double, capping the run for South Carolina.
Virginia broke through in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by John Hicks, his eighth of the season and the first hit of the game for the Cavaliers. UVa threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning, loading the bases with one out on a David Coleman hit, followed by a Keith Werman walk and a single by Taylor. South Carolina went to the bullpen and brought in Taylor, who induced John Barr to hit into an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play, silencing the UVa threat.
South Carolina added another run in the top of the eighth inning off UVa reliever Justin Thompson. Robert Beary walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third after back-to-back groundouts. Wingo was hit by a pitch and Walker then singled through the right side, scoring Beary and giving the Gamecocks the 7-1 lead.
The AFP on WREL: World Series or bust
AFP editor Chris Graham talks sports with WREL-1450AM’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan.”
The segment is baseball-intense, for good reason. #1 UVa. is in Omaha aiming for the school’s first College World Series crown. Can the Cavs do it?
A tour around the Valley League wraps us up. The big question in the Valley: Can we get a game in with all the rain we’ve had of late?
McDonnell announces ‘Orange and Blue Days’ to aid tornado-relief efforts
Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today a new initiative to help raise funds for Virginians recovering from April’s devastating tornadoes while supporting the University of Virginia baseball team as it competes for a national title in the College World Series in Omaha.
Starting tomorrow, and continuing every weekday in which the UVa team plays in the Series, members of the governor’s staff will participate in “Orange and Blue Days” by dressing in business casual attire featuring the school colors of UVa. In order to participate each staff member is being asked to contribute $4 per day to the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund to support those affected by April tornadoes and severe storms.
During April, at least 30 tornadoes were recorded in Virginia, taking 10 lives, injuring more than 100, destroying 212 homes and damaging more than 1,000. The governor is also asking all state agencies to join in the initiative along with Virginia businesses.
“The Commonwealth is home to so many top-flight college athletic programs. The Virginia Tech Hokies won the ACC in football in 2010; the VCU Rams electrified the Commonwealth with their run to this year’s Final Four; the University of Richmond made a similar run to the Sweet 16; and the University of Virginia just won the 2011 national championship in lacrosse. Now, the Wahoo baseball team, ranked number one in the country, is playing for the national title in Omaha. ‘Orange and Blue Days’ allow us to show our support for these outstanding student athletes while also raising funds and awareness for those in our state who are still rebuilding from the devastating severe storms in April. I’m asking all Rams, Hokies, Dukes, Spiders, Patriots, Monarchs, Captains, Spartans, Trojans and others in state government and throughout the Commonwealth to join the governor’s office in supporting the Wahoos and contributing to this worthy cause,” McDonnell said.
The governor is also encouraging businesses throughout Virginia to participate in “Orange and Blue Days.” Contributions can be made at https://payments.vi.virginia.gov/donatenow/ (minimum online donation is $10) or by collecting $4 per person and sending checks payable to the Treasurer of Virginia with “Tornado Relief” noted in the memo line to Comptroller’s Office, P.O. Box 1971, Richmond, VA 23218-1971.
All proceeds will go to those recovering from April’s devastating storms. Virginia businesses, organizations and state agencies participating in “Orange and Blue Days” can show their spirit by emailing photos of their staff’s participation to press@governor.virginia.gov and the top ones will be posted on the governor’s Facebook page and on the governor’s website. The governor and his staff will be taking a photo on the steps of the Capitol on Tuesday.
The AFP on WREL: News and politics on tap
Posted by afp on June 24, 2011 · Leave a Comment
The segment begins with coverage of the announcement tour of State Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge, who is running for re-election in the 24th House District this fall. The discussion then turns to sports, specifically #1 UVa.’s must-win game against South Carolina in the College World Series. Can the Cavs overcome the challenge from last year’s national champions?
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with afp on wrel, chris graham, college baseball, college world series, jim bresnahan, uva. baseball, valley league