The Virginia baseball game against Liberty yesterday mirrored the unpredictable Charlottesville weather.
Thanks to a late rally by the Flames (16-15) and missed opportunities by Virginia (17-18), the Cavaliers lost, 5-4, in 11 innings.
"It was a tough game, and you lose those occasionally," Virginia coach Dennis Womack said. "Those are pretty hard to take, especially in the last inning."
Entering the matchup on a seven-game losing streak, Virginia seemed to be stuck under the thunderclouds hanging overhead. But with a three-run lead in the eighth inning, the sun seemed to be finally shining through for the Cavaliers. Then the lightning struck.
After giving up two singles to open the inning, Cavalier starting pitcher Canon Hickman (2-4) hit Flame second baseman Larry Wayne York as he was attempting to bunt. With the bases loaded, Hickman walked Liberty first baseman Kelly Knouse to close the score to 4-2.
Virginia relief pitcher Chris Marinak forced Flame shortstop Joey Monahan to hit into a possible double-play grounder, but Monahan barely beat out the throw to first, allowing another run to score. The Cavaliers escaped the inning clinging to a one-run lead, but Rutgers tied it in the ninth when Flame centerfielder Keith Butler tied the game off a Erich Cloninger RBI grounder.
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Virginia had its chance to win in regulation, but poor execution forced the game into extra innings. After a leadoff hit by designated hitter Shawn McCleary, David Stone failed to advance the runner with his pop out bunt down the first base line. McClearly ended the inning still standing on first base.
"What we needed to do was end the game in regulation," Womack said. "We had some opportunities. We just needed somebody to step up there with a big base hit."
Virginia missed an even better opportunity in the 10th inning. After a Dan Street leadoff single, catcher Mark Rueffert sacrificed him to second base, but Street was unable to score from there. The Cavaliers left men on first and second after a Doug Vroman infield groundout.
Liberty took advantage of their chance to take the lead and did so in the top of the 11th inning. Butler reached on a bloop single to centerfield and then stole second on a very close play.
Flame rightfielder Steve Baker hit a ball that dropped safely in the outfield and allowed Butler to score the eventual winning run.
Virginia threatened in the bottom of the inning, but once again was unable to find the big hit when it needed one. After a pair of singles to put runners on first and third with one out, Cavalier shortstop Hunter Wyant hit a blazing shot that was corralled by the diving second baseman. Starting the double play from his knees, York and Monahan turned the game-ending double play.
"Hunter absolutely blistered the ball," Womack said. "You can't hit it any harder than that. Then the ball could have been by him and we would have had one run in, and probably first and third and would have won that game."
Virginia will try again to get back in the win column today when they host Virginia Tech at 3 p.m.
The game against Virginia Tech will be "a lot different because it's a rivalry game," Hickman said. "In this game we just wanted to win so we could stop losing. Tomorrow we want to win just to win, to beat them"
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