Cavs fall to Chanticleers

By Jay Jenkins

Published: April 15, 2008

Virginia can take comfort in knowing that Coastal Carolina is not in the ACC.
Five other league opponents would likely agree.
Fueled by a game-changing four-run eighth inning, Coastal Carolina registered an 8-3 victory at Davenport Field on Tuesday, winning its eighth game this season against an ACC opponent.
The 22nd-ranked Chanticleers (29-7) took advantage of uncharacteristically wild pitching from Virginia and used timely hitting to upend the Cavaliers (29-10) for the third straight time.
“Quite frankly, Coastal Carolina is a Top 25 team right now and we are not,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “We didn’t perform in the clutch, both on the mound and at the plate when we had opportunities. They did and that’s why they won.”
With the game tied 3-3 in the eighth, Coastal Carolina sent nine batters to the plate in a frame that saw three walks, one of which came intentionally.
David Anderson opened the scoring and gave the Chanticleers a lead they would not relinquish with a one-out RBI single.
After Cavalier reliever Jeff Lorick fanned the only batter he faced, right fielder Tommy Baldridge, O’Connor turned to junior Jake Rule.
The right-handed reliever walked back-to-back batters, including shortstop Tyler Bortnick with the bases loaded, before allowing a two-run single to left field by Rico Noel.
“We didn’t execute some pitches and, to their credit, they got clutch hits when we didn’t execute,” O’Connor said.
Virginia, which struck out 11 times in the contest, was unable to mount a rally, stranding a pair of runners in the bottom of the eighth and another in the ninth. For the game, the Cavaliers left 11 runners on base.
“We weren’t tough enough in some of the at-bats like we needed to be,” O’Connor said. “It’s a lack of competitiveness and toughness. You just can’t allow that to happen and they ran some good pitchers out there, but you have to do a better job of battling on both sides.”
Virginia took an early lead when former Monticello star Corey Hunt singled, took second on a passed ball and scored on a double by Tyler Cannon that appeared to bounce over first base in foul territory.
The 1-0 advantage stood until Virginia starter Matt Packer, who had used 55 pitches to blank Coastal Carolina in the first four innings, lost his command.
Packer, who was starting for the first time since March 11, walked Bortnick to load the bases and then Noel to push across the Chanticleers’ first run.
The biggest hit, however, came moments later when Packer gave up a two-run single to Coastal Carolina centerfielder David Sappelt.
“I felt perfect the first four innings,” Packer said. “That was probably the best that I have been to start out. I had every pitch and my arm felt great.
“I didn’t get tired or anything in the fifth. When I got a couple of guys on I just lost the zone. I walked [Bortnick] on four straight pitches and even a guy that was trying to bunt, I couldn’t throw the first two strikes against him. I finally threw one to him and then I went 3-0 to the last guy. I don’t know. I just lost the zone.”
Packer, who pitched five innings, was taken off the hook for the loss in the sixth when Dan Grovatt doubled and scored on a fielding error on a single to left by David Coleman, who scored on a triple by catcher Franco Valdes.
Despite standing at third with no outs, UVa could not push Valdes home.
Pete Andrelczyk, even though he allowed both runs in the sixth, earned the win on the mound to improve to 2-0.
Jake Cowan, who escaped a jam in the seventh with a strikeout, was charged with three of the four earned runs in the eighth and suffered his first career loss. The rookie is 2-1 overall.
Virginia returns to action Friday at 6 p.m. against Wake Forest with a new-look rotation. Senior lefty Pat McAnaney will be bumped into the Friday night spot, changing places in the weekend order with Jacob Thompson.
O’Connor said McAnaney had earned the honor.
“He has pitched well enough all season to be placed in that situation,” O’Connor said. “I am confident in Pat’s ability in that spot.”