Branden Kline (Jr., Frederick, Md.) fired a complete-game, two-hit gem to lead the Virginia baseball team to a 5-1 victory over Clemson Saturday afternoon at Davenport Field. Kline allowed just two baserunners and did not walk a batter.
Virginia (14-8-1) clinched its fifth-consecutive series victory against Clemson. Game three of the series is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday. The Cavaliers also won their 15th-consecutive home ACC series, dating to a March 2009 series loss to Miami.
After giving up a triple to start the game, Kline (4-2) retired 27 of the next 28 batters, surrendering just a fourth-inning single to Jason Stolz. He retired the final 15 batters he faced. It marked Kline’s first career complete game; his longest previous outing was 6.1 innings. It was the first complete game by a UVa pitcher this year and the Cavaliers’ first in an ACC game since Robert Morey went the distance against North Carolina on May 15, 2010.
UVa’s eight- and nine-hole hitters, Mitchell Shifflett (So., Midlothian, Va.) and Keith Werman (Sr., Vienna, Va.) did much of the damage for the Cavaliers. Shifflett went 2-for-2 and scored two runs, while Werman was 2-for-3 with a two-run double.
For the second straight day, UVa knocked out Clemson’s starting pitcher early. CU starter Dominic Leone (3-2) took the loss and worked 3.2 innings, allowing five earned runs, five hits and three walks while striking out three.
Clemson (11-10, 3-5 ACC) wasted no time in scoring the game’s first run, as Steve Wilkerson led off the game with a triple to right-center and scored when the next batter, Stolz, grounded out.
Virginia tied the game in the second inning when Derek Fisher (Fr., Rexmont, Pa.) homered into the right-field bleachers. It marked his third long ball of the year.
The Cavaliers moved ahead in the third inning. After back-to-back singles by Shifflett and Werman to start the inning, Chris Taylor (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.) cranked a triple to center to plate both runs.
UVa doubled its lead in the fourth inning on a two-out, two-run double by Werman to bring Nate Irving (Fr., Yonkers, N.Y.) and Shifflett home.
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Chris Graham
