On a day when it barely overcame the bitter cold at U.Va. Baseball Field, Virginia didn't have enough gas to get by Marc Fisher. Fisher (3-1), a Virginia Commonwealth right-hander, went eight and one-third innings and downed the Cavaliers, 8-2.
"Their guy threw well," Virginia designated hitter Dan Street said. "We didn't hit well enough to score nine runs."
Virginia (13-9) got off to a decent start and scored a run in the first inning. Second baseman Rob Newton and shortstop Hunter Wyant, the ACC Co-Player of the Week, had base hits, and Street sent a sacrifice fly to center field.
But the Rams (19-5) answered with four runs in the top of the second inning and took a lead they did not relinquish. After VCU catcher Cory Bauswell blasted a double to left field, the Cavaliers mishandled a sacrifice bunt to put runners at first and third for right fielder Jose Pabon. He knocked an RBI single up the middle to tie the score at 1-1.
Designated hitter Joe Jackson sacrificed the runners to second and third, and center fielder Matt Davis walked to load the bases for Chris Gerrity. Gerrity doubled to score two runs, and, a batter later, shortstop Josh Arteaga pushed across another run with a sacrifice fly to right. First baseman Danny Lopaze grounded out to end the inning but the score was already 4-1.
Virginia picked up another run in the bottom of the fourth, but VCU bumped its lead back to three runs in the top of the sixth when Virginia freshman right-hander Canon Hickman (1-2) walked Arteaga with the bases loaded.
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Virginia left-hander Greg Hansard came on in relief in the top of the seventh. In the top of the eighth, the Rams scored three runs to go up, 8-2. Hansard gave up a double, two walks and a balk, so Virginia coach Dennis Womack brought in right-handed junior Chris Marinak, who gave up RBI hits to Arteaga and Lopaze.
The Cavaliers had a chance to reduce the Rams' lead in the bottom of the ninth after Fisher hit Street with a pitch and first baseman Robert Word singled to center. But VCU yanked Fisher, who was just two outs shy of a complete game, and brought in senior right-hander Davy Martin to finish the job. Martin got a fly out and a ground out to secure the Rams' victory and end the game.
The loss was only the Cavaliers' second in the last eight games. The Rams extended their winning streak over Virginia to 15 games.
"We're still trying to get into a rhythm pitching-wise," Womack said. "I think we've pretty much got roles filled hitting-wise, but we're still looking for a pitching rhythm."
With Fisher bringing his best game, though, there was little Virginia could do.
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