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Baseball Loses at No. 10 Virginia, 7-4
April 3, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Terrapin shortstop David Poutier went 3-for-4 with a home run and career-high four RBIs, but 10th-ranked Virginia scored five runs in the final two innings to post a 7-4, come-from-behind victory against the University of Maryland baseball team Friday evening at Davenport Field. Maryland dropped its fifth straight Atlantic Coast Conference matchup, falling to 13-16 and 3-10 in the league. Virginia improved to 25-4 and 7-4 in the ACC. After escaping a first-inning jam, Virginia starting pitcher Danny Hultzen, who also batted third in the order as the designated hitter, helped his cause, delivering an RBI single in the bottom of the first to put the Cavaliers up 1-0. Virginia first baseman John Hicks belted a one-out triple to left-center field in the bottom of the second and later scored on a fielding error to give Virginia a 2-0 advantage. The Terps broke through against Hultzen in the top of the third. Center fielder Dan Benick led off with a single and Poutier followed with a two-run home run to left field to knot the score at 2-2. Poutier came through again in the third inning, driving in two more runs with a two-out, two-run single to center field to put the Terps up 4-2. Maryland starting pitcher Brett Harman pitched an unorthodox scoreless inning in the bottom of the fourth. With one out and no one on base, Hicks hit a routine ground ball to third, but reached safely when Mike Murphy's throw pulled first baseman Will Greenberg off the bag. Franco Valdes then hit a lazy fly ball to left field for an apparent out. However, the heavy winds at Davenport Field gave left fielder Gerry Spessard trouble and the ball fell in for a double to put runners at second and third with one out.
After a crucial strikeout of John Barr, a couple of the stadium light stands lost power one pitch into a big at-bat by Jarrett Parker. The game was delayed 19 minutes before play resumed. Harman battled back from a 3-1 count to strike out Parker swinging. Maryland stranded the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning and Virginia took advantage in the bottom half. Harman gave up a leadoff single, followed by a walk to begin the inning. Hultzen then laid down a sacrifice bunt toward third base. Harman fielded and fired toward first, but the throw was wild, allowing a run to score. Harman was relieved by Adam Kolarek and Dan Grovatt tied the score with a sacrifice fly. Dan Gentzler replaced Kolarek following the sac fly and allowed the go-ahead run to score on a wild pitch. The Terps put a runner on second with no outs in the top of the eighth due to a fielding error by shortstop Tyler Cannon, followed by a throwing error by pitcher Kevin Arico on a pick-off attempt. However, the Terps failed on a sacrifice bunt attempt and couldn't score the runner. Phil Gosselin increased Virginia's lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth with a sacrifice fly and Grovatt made it 7-4 with a two-out RBI single. Harman took the loss for Maryland, falling to 3-3 on the season despite pitching well. Harman pitched six innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits and seven strikeouts. Arico got the win for the Cavaliers, improving to 1-0. Matt Packer pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season. Benick went 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored, the only other Terp with multiple hits besides Poutier. Parker and Hultzen each registered four hits for Virginia. Game No. 2 of the series is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday. -TERPS- |
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