Top-Ranked Virginia Walks Off With 4-3 Win Over #5 Clemson Friday

March 26, 2010

Charlottesville, VA –

Stephen Bruno’s walkoff single in the ninth inning lifted #1 Virginia to a 4-3 victory over #5 Clemson in front of 2,305 fans at UVa Baseball Stadium on Friday night. The Cavaliers, who took a 1-0 series lead, improved to 19-3 overall and 6-1 in the ACC. The Tigers fell to 17-5 overall and 6-1 in ACC play.

The Tigers took a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning, but Bruno’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning tied the score. After three scoreless innings, the Cavaliers put their leadoff batter on base in the ninth and Bruno came through with the bases loaded when he slapped the game-winning single.

Tyler Wilson (3-1) earned the win, as he pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in relief of one-hit ball with five strikeouts. Starter Danny Hultzen pitched 6.0 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs, and two walks with six strikeouts in 124 pitches.

Tiger reliever Casey Harman pitched 7.0 strong inning, allowing just five hits, three runs, and no walks with three strikeouts.

Tyler Cannon gave Virginia the game’s first lead in the first inning when he belted a solo home run to left field, his first long ball of the season. It was also the first homer allowed by Harman in 2010.

In the second inning, Kyle Parker led off with a single to left-center and went to second on Wilson Boyd’s walk. After the next two Tigers were retired and John Nester walked to load the bases, Seaford, VA native Will Lamb blooped a single down the left-field line to score Parker and Boyd.

A two-out rally in the top of the fifth inning allowed the Tigers to add to their lead. Wilson Boyd’s followed with a single through the right side to score Schaus. The single also extended Boyd’s hitting streak to 13 games.

Virginia came right back and tied the score in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to the long ball. John Barr led off with a single up the middle. Two batters later, Bruno lined an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left field for a two-run homer, his third home run of the season.

In the ninth inning, Jarrett Parker fisted a 1-2 pitch down the right-field line for a leadoff single, then pinch-hitter Keith Werman reached on a perfectly-placed bunt single down the third-base line. Barr’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base and Franco Valdes was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bruno then hit a soft liner just over the outstretched glove of third-baseman John Hinson, who was playing in, and inside the left-field line to plate Parker for the winning run.

Bruno led Virginia’s nine-hit attack by going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.

Schaus, Parker, and Lamb had two hits apiece for Clemson, who also had nine hits in the game. However, Clemson stranded 10 runners on base, including seven in scoring position, and only scored three of its 13 baserunners during the first seven innings.

Clemson and Virginia will play game-two of the three-game series and the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at 3:30 PM.