As an enormous ACC series approaches, it would be easy to put less emphasis on a midweek game against Towson.
That is exactly what happened last season, as the Cavaliers dropped the second of a two-game, midweek series with the Tigers on a Wednesday night at Davenport Field.
In another two-game set with Towson played Tuesday and Wednesday — with No. 6 North Carolina looming this weekend — Virginia had no such trouble. The No. 8 Cavaliers completed a sweep of the Tigers Wednesday night, as a five-run third inning propelled Virginia to a 7-5 victory.
“I thought we played pretty well today,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “Towson threw some of their best starters out there in the back half of the game.”
Toeing the mound to begin the game for the Tigers (12-12) was certainly not one of their best starters. Freshman Ben Winter is listed as an outfielder in the Tigers’ media guide, which also notes that he “could also contribute as a left-handed pitcher.” But Winter shut down Virginia (21-2, 5-2 ACC) for the first two innings, allowing just an infield single on a weak groundball in the first two frames.
“Those crafty, soft-tossing lefthanders can sometimes tie you into knots,” O’Connor said.
In the third inning, however, Virginia figured Winter out, as the team batted through the entire order in its five-run burst. The rally included a leadoff double from sophomore catcher Franco Valdes, a single up the middle for an RBI from sophomore right fielder David Coleman, RBI infield singles from sophomore second baseman Phil Gosselin and freshman designated hitter John Hicks, and finally, a line drive single to right to score another Virginia run before Winter was removed with two outs in the inning.
But the Tigers would not go away easily, as hurlers sophomore Drew Permison, junior Wes Shifflett, junior Nate Curd and senior Josh Squatrito allowed just two runs, one of them earned, in the remaining 5 1/3 innings pitched.
“Those pitchers are going to be like the ones we see this weekend [against North Carolina],” O’Connor said.
With the aid of the bullpen, the Tigers continued to hang around and faced a 7-3 margin going into the ninth. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, Towson strung together two bloop singles and had another batter drive in a run on an error with Virginia junior closer Matt Packer on the mound, putting the tying run at the plate with one out. Packer fanned both sophomore second baseman Chris Wychock and sophomore designated hitter Spencer Patton, however, to close out the win.
“You can’t blame Matt Packer for that ninth inning,” O’Connor said. “There’s no defense for that.”
In more good news for Virginia, junior lefthander Neal Davis made his first appearance since March 4, after sitting out with tendonitis in his throwing arm. Davis, who posted a 1.58 ERA last year, was not yet back to his peak; he gave up a single and a double in a one-run eighth. O’Connor, however, could certainly use the return of his prized lefthander to a bullpen that was victimized Sunday against Miami; ahead by a run but with his bullpen nearly empty, O’Connor was forced to leave sophomore Tyler Wilson on the mound for a third inning in the eighth, and Miami responded with three runs to take the lead and ultimately the win.
O’Connor also noted that Davis, who started the season as the Saturday starter, could return to the starting rotation as he continues to recooperate.
“It was great to see Neal,” sophomore centerfielder Jarrett Parker said. “We have complete faith in him that he’ll come back and do a great job for us.”
Junior Jeff Lorick made it through 4 2/3 innings in his fifth start of the year, giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks. But Wilson was credited with the win, as his outing was the most effective — he went 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits — while Lorick fell one-third of an inning short of being the automatic winning pitcher.
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