Two-Out, Eighth-Inning Rally Lifts Virginia Over #23 Clemson 4-3 in Game One Saturday

April 10, 2004

Charlottesville, VA –

Virginia scored two runs with two outs in the eighth inning to defeat #23 Clemson 4-3 Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader at UVa Baseball Stadium. The Cavaliers’ first two batters of the eighth were retired in order before three straight hits lifted Virginia to its eighth-straight victory. Virginia improved to 28-7 overall, 10-4 in ACC play. The Tigers fell to 18-12 overall, 6-2 in the ACC.

Starter Joe Koshansky (6-1) had the game-winning hit and earned the win, as he pitched 8.0 innings and allowed just six hits and one earned run. He also walked two and struck out seven. Casey Lambert pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his fifth save of the year. Patrick Hogan (0-2) suffered the loss. Robert Rohrbaugh pitched 7.0 innings in a starting role, allowing just two runs, one walk, and four hits.

The Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to the baserunning of Herman Demmink. Demmink led off with a single. He stole second and third, then scored when Lou Santangelo got into a “pickle.” First baseman Tom Hagan threw the ball wild to second base, allowing Demmink to score from third. The Cavaliers had gone five straight games with committing an error.

After the Tigers failed to score in the second inning with runners on second and third with one out, Virginia evened the score 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Matt Dunn hit a one-out triple down the right-field line. After Scott Headd fouled out, Tom Hagan hit a single up the middle to plate Dunn.

The Cavaliers took the lead in the fourth inning. Dunn led off with a double off the chalk in left field. After Headd bunted Dunn over to third base, Hagan was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count. Then Kyle Werman’s squeeze bunt brought home Dunn to give Virginia a 2-1 lead.

Clemson tied the score 2-2 in the fifth inning. Garrick Evans reached on an infield single to shortstop and advanced to second on the errant throw. After Demmink struck out, Kris Harvey broke an 0-for-11 slump with a single off the right-field line, plating Evans.

Harvey came threw once again in his next at-bat in the eighth inning when he hit a solo home run to left field, his fifth of the year overall and fourth in ACC play. The long ball gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

Virginia came right back and retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with three straight two-out hits. Ryan Zimmerman started the rally with a two-out double to left-center. Then, Koshansky helped his own cause with a perfectly-placed double down the first-base line, just out of the reach of first baseman Tyler Colvin. Then, Dunn continued his perfect day with an RBI single up the middle to give the Cavaliers a 4-3 lead.

Harvey led the Tigers with two hits and two RBIs, while Evans also had two hits. Dunn led the Cavaliers with a 4-for-4 day. He had four of the Cavaliers’ seven hits.

Clemson and Virginia will conclude the three-game series later today. The game will start at approximately 4:00 PM.