WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Between the freezing cold in Williamsburg and the awesome heat being thrown by William & Mary ace pitcher Whitt Farr, the Cavaliers had plenty to overcome on their way to a 5-3 victory last night.
Virginia went scoreless for the first two innings, and the Tribe, who have been averaging over seven runs a game, also struggled, driving in one run in each of the first two innings.
Virginia designated hitter Robert Word recognized the effect the weather had on both teams.
"It was really hard to get into it and stay focused out there today," Word said. "It's just a totally different kind of preparation, to be ready to hit and catch."
The entire Cavalier team knew what it was up against, facing a hurler of Farr's caliber.
"It was really big for us when Farr came out of the game," Virginia head coach Dennis Womack said.
In the top of the sixth, Virginia junior catcher Andrew Reisenfeld was hit by a Farr pitch and got on base. Freshman rightfielder Matt Street hit a hard drive into right field to give the Cavaliers two men on. But the Tribe wasn't ready to let go on its home field, and denied Virginia senior leftfielder David Stone and sophomore second baseman Kyle Werman base hits, ending the Cavaliers' chance to score in the sixth.
Virginia was successful in shutting off a potential seventh-inning Tribe run, but the Cavaliers still had to face Farr. An obviously frustrated Street drove the ball into centerfield for a triple. Next in line, Word connected with the ball, driving it straight to the glove of the Tribe shortstop, who threw to first, allowing Street to score the first Virginia run of the day.
At the top of the eighth, Farr was resigned to the dugout and left his work to the Tribe'snumber one reliever, sophomore Chris Ray.
The Cavaliers drove in two quick runs, and Virginia's senior pitcher Chris Marinak kept the Tribe quiet in the bottom of the eighth.
"I expected to play late in the game," said Marinak, who brought a space heater to the game in anticipation of the cold. "I was just trying to be ready for that."
In the ninth, Street got on base quickly, and a double by Word brought him home, giving the Cavaliers a 4-3 lead. Word was relieved at second by Shawn McCleary, who didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity to steal third. Riesenfeld followed with a base hit that brought McCleary in and gave the Tribe a two-run deficit to face in one last at-bat.
William and Mary was unable to mount a comeback, and the Cavaliers escaped with a win over a team that Womack said was, "one of the best that you'll see in the state"
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