Cavaliers rumble past Rider

By Jay Jenkins

Published: June 1, 2008

FULLERTON, Calif. — For a few minutes, Rider coach Barry Davis was living in a dream world.
A 1987 graduate of Albemarle High School and an avid Virginia football fan, Davis and his team were battling Virginia toe-to-toe in the first elimination game at the Fullerton regional.
In fact, the Broncos had the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning and appeared to have stolen the game’s momentum.
Virginia pitcher Andrew Carraway and his knee-buckling slider proved otherwise — the junior escaped the seventh and the Cavaliers used an offensive explosion fueled by their rookies to register an 8-2 victory at Goodwin Field.
UVa (39-22) avoided being bounced from the four-team regional with the win, advancing to face top-seeded Cal State Fullerton today at 7 p.m. and would move on to face second-seeded UCLA at 11 p.m. with a win.
“I thought it was a good ballgame,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “Andrew Carraway was in command from the start of the ballgame. Unfortunately, he ran out of gas a little bit at the end, but he did exactly what we needed him to do and that was pitch deep into the game in an elimination game and save our bullpen.”
Carraway, who registered his last win since April 13 at Maryland, experienced something no Cavalier pitcher had in the team’s last 30 innings: he worked with a lead.
That came in the third inning after first baseman Jeremy Farrell hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Greg Miclat.
Virginia struck again in the fourth inning off Rider starter Jimmer Kennedy (7-5). Tyler Cannon, Miclat and David Coleman each drove in a run in the frame as the Cavaliers registered four of their 14 hits.
“It gives you so much confidence being up 4-0 as opposed to a one-run lead,” Carraway said. “It allows you to expand the zone a little more and go after hitters.”
Carraway, who pitched the seventh inning for just the second time in a start in his career, recorded the first 18 outs with ease. In the seventh, however, the converted reliever ran into trouble.
He allowed three straight hits to open the frame, including a run-scoring double by Mason Heyne. Carraway worked out of the jam, allowing just one more run and stranded a runner at third, as he got a sacrifice fly, strike out and grounder to second baseman David Adams.
“I think he was at 78 pitches after six innings, I believe, and after the two runs, he didn’t let it get out of hand,” O’Connor said. “He buckled down and made some big pitches.”
Carraway (4-3) worked to one batter in the eighth, but was pulled for closer Michael Schwimer after allowing a lead-off single.
Schwimer recorded his 14th save by retiring the final six outs in order and on just 17 pitches.
The final three outs, however, came with a six-run lead after the Cavaliers used three hits and three Rider errors to score four runs off two Bronco relievers.
O’Connor said winning the game with only two pitchers was a near-perfect scenario.
“We are happy that we won the game and we are happy that we move on to another elimination game. We needed Andrew to be effective and he was.”
Carraway scattered six hits and also tied his career-best mark with 10 strikeouts.
“Look at the setting and it’s gotta be one of the biggest games of my life,” he said. “It was a situation where your back is against the wall and you have to win it. The fact that our season could of came to an end today makes it the biggest game of my life.
“When you are pitching a game like that you leave it all on the field. You go with your hair on fire.”
Virginia will start senior Pat McAnaney on the mound today. The left-hander struggled in his last outing, a loss against Miami in the ACC tournament’s title game.
Going 2-0 today would force a winner-take-all contest Monday night with UCLA at 11 p.m.
The loss ended Rider’s season at 29-28, but will remain a special moment for Davis, who played baseball at AHS under former coach Jim Garnett.
“I spent my whole life in Charlottesville,” he said. “I went to high school [at Albemarle] and I graduated where they used to play basketball (University Hall). For me, it was exciting personally because all the friends and family at home got to see us play.
“It was even more exciting when it looked like we might have a chance to knock them off. That was better, but I felt like we competed with them. I am proud to be from there and that is home for me.”