Virginia Wins Game Three 4-2
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Adam Haseley collected three hits and scored a pair of runs, while Tommy Doyle allowed two runs in seven innings of work as No. 4 Virginia took game three of the three-game non-conference series against East Carolina 4-2 Sunday afternoon at Davenport Field. With the win the Cavaliers improve to 4-3, while the Pirates suffer their first loss of the year falling to 6-1.
Doyle (1-0) surrendered two runs (one earned) on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts in his quality start. Alec Bettinger notched his second save of the season working the ninth inning. The pitching trio of Kevin Doherty (0.2 IP), Bennett Sousa (0.1 IP, 1K) and Robbie Coman (0.0 IP) bridged the gap between Doyle and Bettinger.
Jimmy Boyd (1-1) suffered the loss giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts in seven frames. Chris Holba made his second appearance of the year working a perfect eighth frame.
Haseley collected half of the Cavaliers base hits going 3-for-3 on the afternoon. Ernie Clement and Matt Thaiss each added a base knock and drove in run. Pavin Smith and Daniel Pinero also collected RBI.
Parke Lamm, Travis Watkins and Dwanya Williams-Sutton each had a pair of hits for ECU, while Bryce Harman and Eric Tyler each had singles.
How It Happened:A pair of East Carolina errors staked Virginia to an early 2-0 in the first inning. Haseley led off the frame with a double to left center and moved to third on Clement’s sac bunt to Tyler at third base. Thaiss followed by reaching on an error that allowed Haseley to score. Two batters later, Pinero reached when Williams-Sutton dropped a fly ball in left field scoring Thaiss from first.
The Cavaliers added to their lead in the third pushing across two more runs on a pair of hits and another Pirate miscue. Haseley laced a single to left center and then took third on Boyd’s failed pickoff attempt at first base. Clement followed with an RBI double down the left field line and then took third on Thaiss’ ground out to second and scored on Smith’s grounder to first.
ECU finally broke through scoring its first run of the contest in the seventh inning on Turner Brown’s RBI sac bunt. Williams-Sutton doubled down the left field line to start the frame, then moved to third on a ground out before crossing home.
Watkins pulled the Pirates within two, 4-2, in the eighth innings on an RBI ground out to short that plated Lamm from third. Lamm reached on an infield single to short to get things started and took second on a throwing error by Justin Novak on the same play. Charlie Yorgen’s ground out to first pushed Lamm over to third before trotting home on Brown’s sac bunt.
Game Notes:Parker Lamm extended his hit streak to eight games with a single in the first inning … Travis Watkins recorded his third multi-hit game of the season going 2-for-4 on the day … Williams-Sutton recorded his team-leading fourth multi-hit game with his double down the left field line in the seventh … Chris Holba had another perfect outing getting three-consecutive ground outs in the eighth … ECU’s leadoff hitter reached base six times, while the Pirates advanced runners at a 43.8 percent clip (7-for-16).
Up Next:ECU returns home Wednesday, Mar. 2 when it plays host to in-state foe Elon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. (EST).
