March 27, 2005

RADFORD, Va. - The University of Virginia used a combination of timely hitting, good relief pitching and double plays to hand Virginia Tech an 8-5 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball loss in a Sunday game that was played at Radford University's Dedmon Center Park. Unplayable conditions at Tech's English Field forced the move and led to the cancellation of the other two games in the scheduled three-game series.

After leading early, Virginia found itself down 5-4 heading into the sixth inning. With two outs in the inning, the Cavaliers' second baseman Kyle Werman drew a two-out walk from Tech reliever Ryan Kennedy (Punta Gorda, Fla.). Werman stole second base and then scored the tying run on a single by center fielder Tim Henry. Henry advanced to second thanks to a fielding error on the play and came home to score the go-ahead run when right fielder Matt Street singled.

An inning later, the Cavaliers, got a little extra help from the Hokies and took advantage of it. After a pop up was dropped at second base with two outs in the inning, Virginia catcher Scott Headd lined a pitch over the left field fence for two huge insurance runs.

Tech (7-9; 1-7) finished the game with three errors, but the Hokies weren't the only ones burned by miscues. The Cavs matched Tech's error total with three of their own, including two in the bottom of the fifth with Tech grabbed a 5-4 lead.

A single by Hokie shortstop Warren Schaeffer (Vandergrift, Pa.), followed by back-to-back errors by UVa, allowed Tech to load the bases with nobody out in the fifth. Virginia relief pitcher Jeff Kamrath hit Tech third baseman Bryan Thomas (Wilmington, N.C.) with a pitch to force in the tying run, and the Hokies took the lead when center fielder Nate Parks (Salem, Va.) came home as the Cavs were turning one of their five double plays of the afternoon.

Virginia, improving to 18-6 overall and 4-3 in the ACC with its 10^th straight win, jumped to a quick lead in the game. Leadoff hitter Henry reached on an error and eventually scored on a two-out single by first baseman Sean Doolittle in the first inning. The Cavaliers extended their margin to 3-0 in the second inning on a RBI-double by Henry and a run-producing single by Street.

Tech saw a number of potential big innings extinguished by double plays, starting in the second inning. After freshman right fielder Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla.) led off the Tech second with a single, sophomore left fielder Billy Marn (Yorktown, Va.) smacked his second homer of the season to pull the Hokies within a run at 3-2. A walk and a Virginia fielding error put two more runners on base. A timely pickoff erased one of those runners, but second baseman Matt Hacker (Glen Allen, Va.) kept the threat alive with a single.

Then came the first of the twin-killings. Virginia would record double plays in four-straight innings before notching number five with two on and the tying run at the plate with one out in the ninth. Tech had a run in and two runners on when the Cavs turned two to end the third inning.

Kamrath (5-2) gave the Cavs just what they needed when he entered the game in the top of the fourth inning. The right-hander pitched five full innings, allowing just the two unearned runs in the fifth inning. He limited Tech to just two hits, while striking out three batters and walking three. Lefty Casey Lambert pitched the ninth to pick up his sixth save of the year.

Kennedy (2-3) took the loss in relief of starter Nicky Bowers (Stuart, Va.). The junior left-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and four runs, only one of which was earned.

Cueto, Schaeffer and first baseman Chris Stanton (Centreville, Va.) picked up two hits apiece for Tech. Street led Virginia with three hits and joined Henry, Headd and Doolittle with two RBIs each.

Tech is scheduled to return to action Tuesday night with a home game against East Tennessee State at 7.