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Baseball Dispenses of the Keydets and the Flames

With their new top 5 ranking the Cavalier baseball team took care of business against VMI and Liberty this week in their midweek contests.

By Will C

One day this UVa baseball team might stumble during the week. One day they might fall asleep on the way to Davenport Field and refuse to get up to play a sub-standard opponent. One day they might lose to a team like VMI or Liberty. That was not this week.

On Tuesday the Cavaliers traveled to Lynchburg to take on the Flames in their newly renovated stadium. Apparently the game had been "sold out" for weeks and the whole Liberty fanbase was going to come out. I saw empty seats all the way from South Carolina. I will say that Sid Bream was there though! SID BREAM!!!!!!

The pitching was the highlight of the afternoon by blanking the Flames in the run department and holding them to only a single hit. Fortunately, the batters were able to push two runs across in the first and never look back. Josh Sborz started and was able to put together 4.0 IP and striking out five. Fellow first year Nathan Kirby took over for the next 3.1 IP and struck out six. If Kirby can throw strikes like he did on Tuesday and in the Clemson series he might end up being the star of this class. Austin Young closed out Kirby's inning and Kyle Crockett closed out the game striking out two and earning his third save of the season.

VMI visited the Dav on Wednesday in a makeup game postponed from early March. Although the pitching was not nearly as good, the batters took care of business. All but one batter in the lineup recorded a hit, and four of the nine had a multi-hit game. Second year Brandon Downes paced the offense going two for five with two RBI and two runs scored thanks in large part to his eighth double of the season.

The pitching wasn't as crisp as Tuesday, but the bullpen locked down the game again for the Hoos. The pen combined to hold the Keydets to a single run over the last 3.2 IP and only allowed four hits. Kyle Crockett shut the game down again in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.

Didn't make a big deal out of it yesterday, but the game was the Hoos' annual military appreciation day, and let me tell you, those hats and helmets were looking good. Thanks to Jared King for allowing those of who weren't able to be in Charlottesville yesterday see the good looking duds.

Hoos have Thursday and Friday off before traveling to Wake Forest this weekend. The Monday night game is going to be televised on ESPNU!

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