April 10, 2007

No. 5 Virginia Baseball Blows Past VCU, 8-1

RICHMOND, Va. - The fifth-ranked Virginia baseball team posted an 8-1 victory against VCU Tuesday night in front of a VCU-record crowd of 2,237 at the Diamond.

David Adams (Margate, Fla.) went 2-for-3 with three runs scored for Virginia (30-6), while Brandon Marsh (Alpharetta, Ga.) had two hits and Tyler Cannon (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) drove in three runs. Brandon Guyer (Herndon, Va.) extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games with a single in the eighth inning.

The Cavalier pitching was solid, allowing just five hits in the contest. Michael Schwimer (Alexandria, Va.) earned the win to improve to 2-0 after tossing 2 1/3 innings of perfect baseball. Virginia starter Jeff Lorick (Duluth, Ga.) survived a shaky first inning before settling down and going 4 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run, four hits and two walks while striking out five. Casey Lambert (Harrisonburg, Va.) pitched the ninth inning, marking his 100th career appearance at Virginia.

Florida State Defeats Jacksonville 7-2, Avenges Early Season Loss to the Dolphins

Tallahassee, Fla. - Behind a solid outing by Bo O'Dell and home runs by Mark Hallberg and Dennis Guinn, the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles (32-4) avenged an early season loss to Jacksonville (21-18) defeating the Dolphins 7-2 Tuesday evening at Dick Howser Stadium. The first four batters in the Seminole line-up combined for nine hits and six runs as FSU extended its home winning streak to 27 games.

Guinn and Hallberg each recorded two-run home runs in the bottom of the third to push the Seminoles' win streak to 25 straight games over the Dolphins on Mike Martin Field.

Tony Thomas, Jr. raised his season batting average to .493 as the junior second baseman went 4-for-5 with a double, three singles and a stolen base. Buster Posey, Jack Rye and Jason Stidham each registered two hits a piece in the win.

Williams' Walk-Off Sends No. 2 Tar Heels Past No. 25 Charlotte

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Center fielder Seth Williams belted a walk-off, three-run home run to send No. 2 North Carolina past 25th-ranked Charlotte, 6-3, Tuesday in a top-25 clash at Boshamer Stadium. Relievers Matt Danford and Andrew Carignan combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for the Tar Heels, who moved to 30-5 to match the 1983 club for the program's top 35-game start.

Williams, who was 2-for-5 for his fourth straight multi-hit game, hit the first pitch he saw from 49er reliever Bryan Hamilton over the left field wall for his team-best sixth home run and the Tar Heels' 11th straight victory over Charlotte (26-6). Right fielder Kyle Seager was hit by a pitch by Matt Foard, and left fielder Reid Fronk drew a walk to put two on for Williams.

Carignan (1-1) earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless frames. He worked out of a jam in the seventh and faced the minimum over the last two innings, while striking out two. Danford, who is now sixth all-time at Carolina in career appearances, pitched well in his 100th career game, striking out three and allowing just three singles over 3 1/3 innings.

Padgett powers Virginia Tech by Richmond

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Sophomore Luke Padgett's three-run homer capped a five-run sixth inning for Virginia Tech as the Hokies rallied for a 12-9 non-conference baseball victory over the University of Richmond on Tuesday at English Field.

The two schools scored seven runs apiece during the first three innings before Richmond (19-14) grabbed a 9-7 advantage with two runs in the top of the fifth. The Hokies (17-17) used three hits, a pair of walks, four stolen bases and a wild pitch to regain the lead for good in the sixth.

Second baseman Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.) got Tech going in that inning with a leadoff single. Hacker moved to second when center fielder Nate Parks (Roanoke, Va.) walked, and then both runners advanced on a double-steal. A ground out by shortstop Warren Schaeffer (Vandergrift, Pa.) sent Hacker home with the first run of the inning and advanced Parks to third, where he scored the second run on a wild pitch. Designated hitter Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) then walked and stole second base. O'Brien moved to third on a single by first baseman Adam Redd (Dumfries, Va.), who wasted little time in stealing second base. After pinch hitter Matt Foley fouled out, third baseman Padgett (Lynchburg, Va.) smacked an offering from UR reliever Scott O'Neil (2-1) to left field for his third homer of the season, giving Tech a three-run advantage.

Wake Forest Routs Triad-Rival UNC Greensboro, 14-3

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Tyler Smith and Brett Linnenkohl both homered to lead Wake Forest to a 14-3 rout of UNC Greensboro Tuesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

The Demon Deacons pounded out 14 hits and held the Spartans to just one run over the final eight innings. The win moves Wake to 19-16 overall. UNCG drops to 17-16 with the loss.

Smith hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run blast in the second, to erase an early 2-0 deficit. Linnenkohl's home run, a solo shot, came in the fourth with the Deacons leading 4-2.

Smith finished the day 2-for-4 with career-highs of three RBIs and three runs scored. Linnenkohl went 2-for-3, while Evan Ocheltree was 3-for-5 with a career-best four runs scored.

Andy Goff extended his hitting streak to five games, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Ben Terry scored three runs and drove in two more on the day.

Boston College Falls To Central Connecticut State

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - After falling to intrastate rival Massachusetts yesterday, the Eagles came back home looking for a win, but dropped a 13-6 decision this afternoon at Shea Field. The loss is the Eagles' fifth in as many days and drops their overall record to 9-20-1. CCSU improves to 12-5 with the win.

The Blue Devils got to starter Michael Belfiore early as they would score three times on five hits in the top of the first inning. After recording the first out, Belfiore surrendered a home run and five singles and the Blue Devils would cross the plate three times giving them an early 3-0 advantage.

CCSU would continue their hitting ways in the top of the second as the first four batters would collect hits, scoring two runs and pushing their lead to 5-0. JB MacDonald would come in to relieve Belfiore and surrender a balk, allowing Taha to score from third. An error by the Eagles would allow two more runners to score, making it 7-0 Blue Devils.