Box Score
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Branden Cogswell had two hits and one RBI, John La Prise added one hit and two RBI and Alex Bettinger gained the pitching win, to lead the University of Virginia, nationally-ranked No. 2, to an 8-1 non-conference baseball victory past Longwood University on Wednesday evening at Davenport Field in Charlottesville. Junior
Travis Biddix/Richmond had one hit and one RBI for the visiting Lancers (12-14) against the host Cavaliers (20-4) of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Longwood will return to Big South Conference action this weekend with a three-game series on the road at fellow North Division and in-state opponent Radford University that begins on Saturday, March 29 at 4 p.m. in Radford.
Virginia took an early 4-0 lead in the second inning with four runs on three hits, aided by a pair of walks and a throwing error. Joe McCarthy (1-3) reached on a one-out single and after a walk to Brandon Downes (1-3, RBI), crossed the plate on an RBI single by Matt Thaiss (1-4, RBI). Nate Irving (0-1, RBI) followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt that turned into the throwing error, allowing Downes to score, and Thaiss scored on an RBI single by La Prise (1-2, 2 RBI). Another walk was followed by a sacrifice squeeze bunt RBI from Cogswell (2-3, RBI) that plated Irving. The Cavaliers added another run in the fourth inning to lead 5-0 after Thaiss reached courtesy a fielding error at shortstop while advancing to second base, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Irving and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from La Prise.
Virginia made it 6-0 with another run in the fifth inning after a walk to McCarthy, who advanced to third base via a wild pitch and a balk, before scoring on an RBI single by Downes. The Cavaliers added two more runs in the eighth inning to lead 8-0, getting and RBI on a fielder's choice ball from Daniel Pinero (1-4, RBI) that scored Irvin, who had been hit by a pitch, and a sacrifice fly RBI by Mike Papi (0-2, RBI) plated La Prise, who had walked.
Longwood had runners on base in each of the first six innings, either via a single or walks, but left five of them on base. The Lancers were able to avoid the shutout with a run in the ninth inning for the final seven-run margin. Senior
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-4) and senior captain
Alex Owens/Purcellville (1-3) each singled before a one-out walk to freshman
Alex Lewis/Burke (1-3) loaded the bases. Following a strikeout, Biddix (1-3, RBI) hit a two-out RBI single to score Burkett, but a ground ball ended the game for the visitors.
Freshman
Devin Gould/Fairfax Station (1-1) started for Longwood and pitched the first 4.0 innings to take the loss, allowing five hits and five runs, three earned, with three strikeouts and three walks. Sophomore
Blake Ream/Yorktown pitched 2.0 innings of middle relief for the Lancers and allowed one hit and one earned run with two strikeouts and two walks. Burkett tossed a scoreless seventh inning, retiring the side in order with no strikeouts and no walks. Freshman
Mitchell Kuebbing/Burlington, Kentucky pitched the final 1.0 inning, allowing one hit and two earned runs with no strikeouts and one walk.
Bettinger (2-0) started for Virginia and pitched the first 5.0 scoreless innings for the mound win, yielding just three hits with two strikeouts and three walks. The Cavaliers used three additional pitchers, including Austin Young, who tossed the final 1.0 inning and allowed three hits and one earned run with one strikeout and one walk.
Longwood and Virginia were playing for the 13th time overall, but for the first time since 2008, and the Cavaliers have now won seven-straight games to lead the series, 11-2.
