CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.- Sophomore hurler Andrew Carraway struck out six batters in a row and allowed only one hit in three innings after VMI had tied the game in the fourth inning to earn his second career victory over the Keydets in a 5-3 victory for #7 Virginia on Tuesday afternoon at Davenport Field.
Carraway (1-0) followed starter Neal Davis, who was tagged for three runs on five hits in three-plus innings of work. Offensively for the Cavaliers, Sean Doolittle led the way, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, a double and a home run, while Greg Miclat, David Adams and Brandon Guyer each contributed a pair of hits as well. Adams drove in two runs with his first-inning single, while Guyer and Brandon Marsh each drove a run in as well.
For the Keydets, Michael Bowman, who came on in relief of starter Travis Smink after three batters, struck out six in 3.2 innings, surrendering only an unearned run on four hits while striking out six. Trey Barham (2-1) followed and gave up the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, in all pitching two innings and giving up one run on two hits. Leading the way offensively for VMI were A.J. Yoder, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Eddie Van Es, who drove in a pair of runs while going 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
“I thought we played hard tonight, and after the third inning we really put them on their heels,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “I thought our pitching staff really did a great job tonight, with Bowman having to come in in the first inning. Barham did a good job in the middle innings, and Casher just mislocated a pitch to Doolittle that ended up over the fence. But for the most part, we played hard and executed and had a chance in the eighth inning with a man on and our RBI man up (Crumpler). I tip my hat to Carraway, he came in and shut the door on us. There's a reason why they're a top ten club, and we're really excited to get them over at our place in April.”
Despite putting a pair of runners on base in the top of the first inning, VMI could not push either past first base, as Thane Smith was caught stealing at second base after leading off the game by being hit with a pitch, while A.J. Yoder reached on an infield hit and was stranded after a pair of strikeouts.
In the bottom of the inning, Keydet starter Travis Smink allowed a bunt single and a stolen base to Cavalier leadoff man Greg Miclat, before leaving the game following a one-out, four-pitch walk to Sean Doolittle. Michael Bowman came on in emergency relief and surrendered a two-run single to David Adams before retiring Brandon Guyer to end the inning.
The Keydets again got the leadoff man on in the second, as Mike Roberts stroked a single to right-centerfield, before a Chad Rice sacrifice bunt moved him to second base. After advancing to third on a groundout by Ryan Litz, Roberts ended the inning by attempting to score on a wild pitch, but was thrown out, as Beau Seabury fired a strike back to Davis at home plate for the out.
After Bowman struck out the side in the bottom of the second, the Keydets again got their leadoff man aboard, as Tanner Biagini reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, but was picked off at first base. In the bottom of the inning, Mike Mitchell led off the frame with a base knock to right-centerfield, before a passed ball moved him to second base. A perfectly-executed bunt single down the third-base line by Greg Miclat put runners on the corners, while a groundout by Brandon Marsh made the score 3-0 in favor of the hosts.
Yet again, the Keydets put their leadoff man on in the fourth inning, this time with better results. A single up the middle by A.J. Yoder was followed by a double high off the leftfield wall by Robert Crumpler, missing a home run by no more than a foot. Eddie Van Es' single to centerfield brought home both Keydets, bringing the count to 3-2. After a Van Es stolen base, a groundball by Roberts squirted by Doolittle at first base, allowing Van Es to score, knotting the game at three and chasing Davis from the game. Andrew Carraway, who was very impressive in starting last year's contest between the teams, came on in relief of Davis, slamming the door on the Keydets' fourth-inning rally.
The Cavaliers tried to answer in the bottom of the inning, as a leadoff double by Guyer was followed by a walk and a sacrifice bunt, putting a pair of runners in scoring position with only one out. But Bowman responded with a strikeout and a groundout, shutting down the Cavs.
After Carraway struck out the side in the fifth, Barham tried to do the same, sitting down the first two, before a Doolittle double to the left-centerfield gap broke the string. Two batters later, Guyer's single to left-centerfield plated Guyer and left a pair of runners on, before a running catch by Justin Hess in right-centerfield ended the inning with the ?Hoos up 4-3.
Each pitcher allowed one baserunner in the sixth, with Van Es scoring a single to break Carraway's strikeout streak at six, while a four-pitch walk to Mitchell in the bottom of the inning went for naught for Virginia. In the seventh, Cavalier reliever Michael Schwimer struck out the side, while a home run off the bat of Doolittle against VMI reliever Ian Casher advanced the lead to 5-3. A double by Adams chased Casher in favor of Corey Bachman, who got the final two outs to close out the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, Schwimer worked around a one-out single from Thane Smith, while Bachman did the same with a leadoff single by Seabury, inducing a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame. Virginia's all-time leader in saves picked up the 34th of his career by retiring the Keydets in order in the ninth.
The Keydets return to action on Friday afternoon, when they host Rider at Gray-Minor Stadium in the first contest of a three-game, weekend series at 4 p.m.
