RICHMOND, Va. -- The Cavaliers improved their record to 10-1 -- the best start for a Virginia baseball team since 1998 -- with a 14-6 throttling of Richmond yesterday afternoon on an overcast day at Pitt Field. The Cavaliers scored more runs in the second inning than Richmond could muster the entire game and were never dealt a serious threat.
Five Cavalier batters recorded multiple hits, led by senior first baseman Joe Koshansky with four. Koshansky was perfect on the day, coming to the plate five times and reaching base in every appearance. His home run in the eighth inning gave him four notches in his belt for long balls this season and upped his game-high RBI total to five.
"I guess we've got to be pretty satisfied, going 10-1," Koshansky said. "I can't complain at all."
Koshansky's home run was the last run of the game, yet despite being Virginia's 14th, it was the only time the Cavaliers touched the plate in the last four innings. For the Richmond fans that came in bunches to see the Spiders' in-state rival, the rain that never quite came would have been a welcome relief.
Virginia shortstop Mark Reynolds tacked on another home run, doubling his season total to two. The third inning bomb just over the left-centerfield wall put the Cavaliers up 11-4 and gave Reynolds his third and final RBI.
Reynolds has been on a tear in 2004. Going into Tuesday's game, the 6'1", 200-pound junior led all starters in batting average (.400), hits (16), slugging percentage (.625) and on-base percentage (.520). He was also tied with fellow Virginia Beach native Ryan Zimmerman for the team lead in RBIs (11). Although prone to striking out -- Reynolds has whiffed 11 times this year -- and struggling in the field at times -- his .906 fielding percentage heading into Tuesday was the lowest of the Virginia infielders -- Reynolds' big bat does plenty of talking for him.
"I always feel capable of doing better than I've done," Reynolds said. "I just keep pushing and working hard, and hopefully I'll get even better."
During a brief scare in the first inning, Cavalier players held their breaths while freshman phenom centerfielder Mike Mitchell lay prostrate on the warning track. Mitchell ran full speed into the outfield wall tracking down a Ben Zeskind flyball. As he crumpled to the ground, Zeskind rolled all the way around to third for an RBI triple.
Mitchell did not return -- he was taken to a nearby Richmond hospital to receive stitches for severe cuts on his eyelid and inner mouth. For Virginia players, who read the news of fellow student-athlete Brett Hughes suffering a serious injury in a lacrosse game at Denver over the weekend, the play was unsettling.
"I was concerned -- he hit [the wall] pretty hard," Koshansky said.
Mitchell's injury did not distract his teammates whatsoever at the plate. Virginia tied a season high for runs in one inning with their at bats immediately following his departure. In all, the top of the second saw seven runs scored, two bunt singles, a hit-by-pitch, two wild pitches that advanced runners and two Spider errors that led to runs. Junior pitcher Tim Rice got the hook after completing just one inning and allowing seven earned runs.
Virginia starter Chris Gale continued to struggle in 2004. Although his mistakes were rendered moot with 11 runs of support in the first three innings, Gale lasted just three innings on Tuesday. The senior right hander allowed seven hits and five runs, striking out two while walking none.
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