For the Dukes, it was a moment of elation, an 8-7 victory against what has proved to be one of the best collegiate teams in the country. For the Cavaliers, it was a shock that bred an atmosphere of despondency as the players cleaned and exited the dugout.
Entering the weekend after a thorough run-rule demolition of Old Dominion during the week, the Cavaliers welcomed Florida State to The Dish Thursday evening.
To the Cavaliers’ credit, they did not go quietly come day three. Duangmanee was resurgent in his final round, shooting a 65 with a five-birdie, bogey-free back nine. It was the best individual score of the tournament across the entire field.
“It was funny, we were out in the field and Sam and I were talking about going back-to-back next inning,” Tiroly said. “On the first pitch, I was fortunate enough to put a good swing on it and I come back to the plate, tap him on the chest and say ‘alright buddy, your turn.’”
“The conversation starts with John Paone. What a terrific start. He really showed complete control,” Pollard said following the game. “I loved his mound presence, and he was able to get the ball to both sides of the plate with run on the fastball to the arm side and a really good shape to the slider.”
“I was standing there at second and, as soon as Beck stepped into the box and we had two outs, I was thinking to myself that I am scoring on anything,” Murray said following the game’s thrilling conclusion.
Following an abbreviated game against George Washington courtesy of an 11-0 run-rule victory, the Cavaliers took the field on Friday afternoon with eyes set on another series sweep as they hosted VCU for the second weekend series of the year.
The Cavaliers now look ahead to a journey to Las Vegas, Nev. this upcoming weekend for the Southern Highlands Invitational hosted by UNLV — an event packed with top competition and the potential for major ranking implications if the Cavaliers were to turn in an uncharacteristic performance.
With a wealth of newfound insight acquired during the first four games of the season, the Cavaliers now look ahead to their first road trip of the year as they head to DeLand, Fla. for an early-season tournament.
The East Lake Cup brought four of golf’s powerhouse programs together for a one-day individual stroke play event, followed by two days of team match play.
