The Virginia pitching staff combined for its second shutout in as many nights as the Cavaliers topped Towson 5-0 Wednesday at Davenport Field. UVa improved to 21-2 this season with the win, while Towson dropped to 6-14-1.
Virginia recorded its seventh shutout of the season – fourth most in a single season in program history. UVa posted back-to-back shutouts for the third time this season, while Towson was blanked in consecutive games for the first time since April 22 and 23, 2003.
Starter Whit Mayberry (So., Alexandria, Va.) pitched five innings for the Cavaliers, giving up four hits and striking out four batters en route to his fourth win on the season and the Virginia bullpen allowed only three base runners over the last four innings of work. Scott Silverstein (Jr., Brookeville, Md.) pitched two innings, allowing one hit and tallying two strikeouts, Corey Hunt (Sr., Charlottesville, Va.) allowed a leadoff double in the eighth inning, but sat the next three batters down in order, and Artie Lewicki (Fr., Wyckoff, N.J.) came in to finish off the shutout, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
Towson starter Tyler Bugna (1-1) was credited with the loss after yielding two runs in the third inning. Nick Natoli led the Towson offense with two hits.
Virginia saw contributions from five Cavalier batters, paced by John Hicks (Jr., Sandy Hook, Va.) who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Keith Werman (Jr., Vienna, Va.) and Ryan Levine (So., Montvale, N.J.) each added pair of hits in the win.
Virginia left two runners on in each of the first two innings before pushing two runs across in the bottom of the third. Werman led off the inning with a double down the right field line and Hicks followed with an RBI single to left field, knocking in Werman and tallying the first score of the game. Levine added the Cavaliers’ third consecutive hit in the inning with a single through the left side, advancing Hicks to third base. With runners on the corners, Steven Proscia (Jr., Suffern, N.Y.) came through with a sacrifice fly, scoring Hicks and extending the Virginia lead to two runs.
The Cavaliers scored again in the fourth inning, manufacturing a run without the benefit of a hit. Reed Gragnani (So., Richmond, Va.) reached base after being hit by a pitch and proceeded to steal second. Taking advantage of an errant throw by the Towson catcher, Gragnani advanced to third and eventually came around to score on a high chopper to third from Mitchell Shifflett (Fr., Midlothian, Va.).
Kenny Swab (Sr., Kernersville, N.C.) led off the Virginia fifth with a double to right field and took third base on the sacrifice bunt by David Coleman (Sr., Richmond, Va.). Swab scored the Cavaliers’ fourth run on the night, tagging up to score on a sacrifice fly from Gragnani.
Virginia capitalized again in the bottom of the seventh inning, starting with a leadoff walk from Chris Taylor (So., Virginia Beach, Va.), who moved to second on a base hit bunt from Werman and took third base on Hicks’ fielder’s choice. Taylor came around to score what would prove to be the final run of the game as Levine grounded into a double play.
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Chris Graham
