CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Sophomore third baseman Steve Proscia hit two triples and drove in four runs as number one-ranked Virginia (22-4) used a pair of big innings to hand the Tigers (5-20) a 17-4 loss in the second game of their two-game series at Davenport Field on Wednesday evening. With the win, Virginia swept the two-game series from Towson. The Cavaliers have now won 10 of their last 11 games.
Virginia, which had to overcome a 4-0 deficit to post an 8-5 victory in the series opener, settled the issue early in their 15-4 victory.
In the second inning, the Cavaliers sent 11 batters to the plate as they scored seven runs. They also sent 11 hitters to the plate in the fifth inning when they added six more runs.
The Tigers tried to take a lead in the first inning against sophomore righthander Will Roberts. With one out, junior shortstop Nick Natoli drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch. After he stole second base, senior rightfielder Kevin Collins was retired on a flyball to right. When senior first baseman Steve Yarsinsky drew a walk, the Tigers had two runners on base. However, Roberts pitched out of the inning by retiring junior second baseman Chris Wychock on a foul popup.
Junior second baseman Phil Gosselin led off the bottom of the first inning with a single to left as the Cavaliers threatened to take an early lead. After Gosselin stole second base, senior righthander Austin Hurd struck out freshman designated hitter Chris Taylor for the first out. Moments later, junior catcher Kenny Swab reached first base when he was hit by a pitch. Proscia made the second out of the inning when he hit a fly ball to left. After Hurd loaded the bases with a walk to centerfielder Jarrett Parker, sophomore first baseman John Hicks ended the inning when he flew out to rightfield.
For the second game in a row, the Tigers took a 1-0 lead over the Cavaliers when they scored a run in the second inning. Freshman leftfielder Kurt Wertz led off the inning by drawing a walk. Freshman catcher Andrew Parker delivered the Tigers' first hit of the game, a line drive double off the leftfield fence, putting runners on second and third. When Roberts issued a walk to junior third baseman Austin Harclerode, the Tigers had the bases loaded with no outs.
Junior designated hitter Steve Rice gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead when he hit a sacrifice fly to rightfield. However, the Tigers missed an opportunity to add more runs when sophomore centerfielder Ben Winter grounded out to second base and Roberts struck out Natoli with two runners in scoring position.
The Tigers' 1-0 advantage was short-lived. Junior leftfielder John Barr led off the second inning with a single to left. Hurd walked junior rightfielder David Coleman to put two runners on base. When freshman shortstop Stephen Bruno lined a triple to right centerfield, both runners scored and Virginia owned a 2-1 lead. Gosselin gave the Cavaliers a 3-1 advantage when he singled to left, driving home Bruno. A single by Taylor and a walk to Swab loaded the bases with no outs and knocked Hurd out of the game.
Senior lefthander Wes Shifflett was summoned from the bullpen and gave up a bases-loaded triple to Proscia to deep centerfield, upping the lead to 6-1. Parker's RBI single down the rightfield line drove home Proscia to make it a 7-1 lead. Then, Shifflett pitched out of the inning by retiring the next three batters in a row.
Bruno led off the Cavaliers' third inning with a double down the left field line, his second hit of the game. He moved to third base on Gosselin's fly ball to right and he scored on a wild pitch by Shifflett, giving Virginia an 8-1 lead.
Once he got the lead, Roberts settled down and retired the Tigers without much trouble in the third inning and the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, the Tigers made a bid to get back in the game. Natoli led off the inning with a double and he scored when Collins doubled down the right field line. However, Roberts pitched out of the inning without allowing any more runs.
With their lead trimmed to 8-2, the Cavaliers broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring six runs on four hits. Coleman led off the inning with a solo home run to leftfield, his first of the season. Bruno reached base when he was hit by a pitch. A single by Taylor and a walk to Swab loaded the bases with one out. Proscia drove in a run to make it a 10-2 lead when Natoli made an error on his ground ball to shortstop. Freshman lefthander Mike Ryan came in to pitch and Parker greeted him with a long home run over the right field fence, a grand slam that gave the Cavaliers a 14-2 lead.
In the sixth inning, Rice cut the Tigers' deficit to 14-3 when he smashed a long home run over the centerfield fence. A pinch hit homer by junior Eric Weller in the seventh inning made it a 14-4 deficit.
Proscia led off the bottom of the seventh with his second triple of the game, a shot to centerfield. He scored to make it 15-4 when Barr grounded into a force play.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Bruno led off with a single and scored on a triple by sophomore second baseman Keith Werman. Taylor's sacrifice fly upped the lead to 17-4.
The Cavaliers pounded out 16 base hits against seven Towson pitchers. Virginia had two home runs and four triples in the game.
Parker and Bruno led the Cavaliers with three hits each. Parker had five runs batted in, including his grand slam homer. Bruno was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two runs batted in.
Rice led the Tigers with two runs batted in.
The Tigers, who have played 23 of their first 25 games on the road, return to Schuerholz Park this weekend when they host Georgia State in a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series.
