RICHMOND, Va. - It was deja vu. Exactly one month before, on Feb. 27, a visiting Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team used a five-run fifth inning to break open a close game and beat Virginia, 13-7.
Yesterday, VCU (17-10) used a five-run sixth inning to snap a 1-1 tie and secure a 6-1 victory over the visiting Cavaliers at The Diamond.
Trying to extend a three-game winning streak after sweeping Duke last weekend, Virginia (15-10) opened the game's scoring in the top of the fourth inning. Senior designated hitter Dan Street hit a leadoff double to left center, his second of the game. The next batter, junior first baseman Robert Word, doubled to right center to drive Street home. However, Word was caught stealing third and VCU carried that momentum in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at one on a single by VCU sophomore third baseman Nick Jones that reeled in junior first baseman Danny Lopaze.
The Rams, looking for their seventh straight win, exploded for five runs in the sixth inning. After VCU junior shortstop Jose Pabon singled, Lopaze homered to right center off Virginia sophomore starter Canon Hickman. Hickman, after five strong innings, surrendered his first walk to Jones.
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Jones stole second and advanced to third when Virginia junior catcher Andrew Riesenfeld's throw went into center field. He scored on an infield single by senior designated hitter Bryan Gillespie, who advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by Virginia freshman third baseman Miguel Luina. VCU junior outfielder Rigo Orozco doubled Gillespie home, and scored when Riesenfeld committed another throwing error. VCU put a total of five runs on the board, three of which were earned.
"One of our best guys made two throwing errors and he's basically been throwing the ball well all year," Virginia coach Dennis Womack said. Defense "is a problem. We know that. Sometimes we can play pretty well defensively, but I don't think I expected two errors out of our catcher. That doesn't normally happen."
The VCU bullpen allowed only five base runners in the last five innings as sophomore relievers Matt Prendergast and Brian Marshall combined to shut down the Cavalier offense. Prendergast got the win to move to 4-2 on the year and Hickman fell to 2-2 after getting the loss.
Offensively, the Cavaliers had 10 hits to the Rams' 11, but they were caught stealing twice, struggled bunting and left eight men on base.
"I think as much as anything, [offense is] where we lost the game," Womack said. "I just think we were very inefficient on offense. We didn't bunt the ball well, really didn't do the things that you have to do offensively to get something done."
These problems with execution have plagued the Cavaliers all season, though defense had been the main concern after the Cavaliers committed 10 errors in their three games against Duke last weekend.
"It's all about execution," sophomore outfielder Matt Street said. "If we can execute, move runners over and get them in, we can basically play with anyone in the nation. It's a matter of execution every night."
Virginia will hope to rebound as the team returns to action Friday night at U.Va. Baseball Stadium against ACC-leader North Carolina. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
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