In a battlefield fight between a Lancer and Cavalier, who would win the battle? That question can be left for military gurus to debate, but the Virginia baseball team (26-13, 6-10 ACC) has made it clear this season that, on the baseball diamond, the Cavalier is the superior soldier.
For the second time in two months, the Longwood Lancers (14-24), who are playing Division I baseball unaffiliated and on a provisional status, rode into town looking for a monumental upset victory over their in-state foe. The Lancers, however, once again left Charlottesville with Davenport Field unconquered, as Virginia dispatched Longwood, 5-1.
Virginia freshman left-hander Pat McAnaney continued to show that he is an emerging star in the Cavaliers' pitching rotation. He threw an eight-inning gem, giving up only one run on three hits. He struck out four Longwood hitters. McAnaney improved his record to 5-0 and lowered his already miniscule 1.29 ERA to a 1.25 mark.
"I had good control and threw strikes," McAnaney said. "I have a great defense behind me so that gives me confidence. It being a close game kept me even more focused."
The game was too close for comfort for the Cavaliers until the seventh inning. Virginia took an early lead in the third inning when shortstop Mike Campagna drove in designated hitter Patrick Wingfield with a single. Wingfield had led off the single and advanced to third on an errant throw by Longwood starting pitcher Clay Horn on a pick-off attempt at first base.
"My eyes just lit up when I got the chance to get an RBI," Campagna, who is 4-8 with three RBIs in the past two games, said.
The Cavaliers offense, however, then went into hibernation, as it has many times this season. It was beginning to look as if the Cavaliers were leaving the Lancers a window of opportunity to pull off the colossal upset. Virginia fans began to shift uncomfortably in their seats when Longwood tied the game up in the top of the sixth inning. With runners on first and third, Longwood manager Buddy Bolding had the runner on first attempt to steal second base. Virginia catcher Ryan Hudson's throw was in time but Longwood runner Tyler Ames pulled up short and got into a rundown, allowing Chris Balus to score from third before Ames was tagged out by second baseman Kyle Werman.
Virginia's offense finally got to Horn in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hudson led off the inning by getting hit by a Horn pitch. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wingfield. Campagna then drove in his second run of the night on a single to centerfield. Werman then hit his second triple in two games, scoring Campagna. Horn was lifted by Bolding in favor of freshman right-hander Isacc Weiderman. When Werman then scored on a single by centerfielder Tim Henry, Cavalier fans breathed a sigh of relief as Virginia's lead increased to 4-1.
"It just took us a while to figure Horn out," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "Fortunately we did and got him knocked out of the ballgame."
In the bottom of the eighth, Virginia added one more run to its lead on a solo home run blast by Hudson over the left-centerfield wall. Virginia right-hander Ryan Poutier entered the game in the ninth inning and put his signature on Virginia's win. The Cavaliers now have a day off before welcoming the No. 4 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to Charlottesville Friday for the opener of a three-game weekend series.
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