Virginia Commonwealth University (19-10, 5-1 A-10) defeated No. 22 Virginia baseball, 7-5, Tuesday night in downtown Richmond. Freshman lefty Daniel Lynch, a 2015 graduate of Douglas Freeman High School in neighboring Henrico County, started on the mound for the Cavaliers (18-12, 6-6 ACC).
With his starter’s pitch count approaching triple digits in the fifth inning, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor lifted Lynch. The former Richmond Baseball Academy West member had surrendered just two runs [two earned] on six hits and a walk but seemingly run out of gas. After Lynch plunked Ram junior shortstop Matt Davis on a one-out, 2-2 delivery, his day was done.
Junior reliever Tyler Shambora inherited base runners on first and second. The first pitch he tossed Tuesday landed in the left-field bleachers, a three-run homer off the bat of junior designated hitter Darian Carpenter.
Shambora, the St. Petersburg College transfer, would allow two more runs in the sixth on a single up the middle, wild pitch and balk. Virginia still trailed its in-state rival 7-1 when Shambora induced an inning-ending double play.
Sophomore center fielder Adam Haseley started a Cavalier rally in the seventh. His quiet confidence was still intact despite four strikeouts in the loss Sunday to NC State and an 0-3 start to Tuesday’s game. Haseley smacked a two-out, two-run homer to right that cut the deficit to 7-3.
O’Connor could have again gone to his bullpen, but he decided to stick with Shambora and to preserve Virginia arms for Wednesday and the weekend.
The move paid off for the Cavaliers. Working quickly, Shambora shut down the Rams in the seventh and eighth innings to preserve momentum.
Resilient and patient Virginia hitters made the game interesting in the ninth. Junior catcher Matt Thaiss slapped a one-out, RBI double down the left-field line. Sophomore Pavin Smith grounded out to plate the Cavaliers' fifth run and bring the tying run to the plate with two outs. Falling behind 1-2, junior shortstop Daniel Pinero swung and missed to end the ballgame.
Prior to Tuesday, Virginia had won its last 16 meetings versus the Rams dating back to O’Connor’s first 2004 season.
The Cavaliers will look to get back on track tomorrow against George Washington (11-18, 2-1 A-10) at 5 p.m. in Charlottesville.
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