Tn. Wesleyan Uses Long Ball and Timely Pitching to Defeat UVa-Wise Baseball

April 1, 2006
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

Wise, VA – Tennessee Wesleyan used six home runs and timely pitching in the second contest to take a pair of baseball games at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise Saturday. The Bulldogs belted four round-trippers on the way to 10-run the Highland Cavaliers in the opener, 16-4, before relying on late-inning pitching to hold on for a 7-5 win in the second affair.

Tennessee Wesleyan improves to 7-1 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference and 19-8 overall. UVa-Wise suffered only its second doubleheaders sweep of the year to fall to 7-3 in the conference and 20-7 on the year.

At the plate, Matt Hall, Jon Reed and Edwin Narvaez had three hits apiece for the Cavs. Reed lined two doubles and Narvaez doubled and belted a solo home run in the opener. Jorge LaBoy connected for a two-run homer in the second game.

The Bulldogs jumped on the home team right away in the opener. Chris Burnsed led the game off with a solo home run and three batters later Greg Elie added a two-run blast for a 3-0 lead. On three UVa-Wise errors in the top of the third, Tennessee Wesleyan extended its lead to 8-0.

Narvaez doubled with one out in the bottom of the third. Carlos Ramos drove him in on a single through the left side. Hall followed with a single and both scored on a Reed double to center to make it 8-3. UVa-Wise would get no closer as Tennessee Wesleyan posted two runs in the fourth and three in both the fifth and sixth frames for a 16-3 score. Narvaez homered to left in the bottom of the seventh for the 16-4 final.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the third of game two, Hall led off with a single and LaBoy reached on an error. Brock Funk was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Wil Childress reached on a fielder’s choice error to allow Hall to score and tie the game, 2-2. Nathan Kiser ground out to third base to bring home LaBoy with the go ahead run, 3-2.

The Bulldogs, the preseason AAC favorite, rallied to recapture the lead for good in the top of the fifth with two runs. The visitors added three more runs in the top of the sixth when Able Gonzalez drove the ball over left field for a three-run home run to make it 7-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Childress walked, Kiser was hit by a pitch and Mike Lang singled to right to load the bases with no outs. Tennessee Wesleyan’s relievers took over from that point. Bobby Katman induced Narvaez to hit into a double play and Ramos to ground out to first to keep it 7-3.

David Jones pitched a one-two-three top of the seventh for the Cavs. Hall singled to lead off the trip to the plate for UVa-Wise before LaBoy belted a two-run homer to left center to make it 7-5 with no outs.

Nick Kooch came on to pitch for the Bulldogs. He hit Funk before striking out Childress, Kiser and Lang in order to end the game and complete the sweep, 7-5.

In the opener, Elie had two homers and Gonzalez equaled the feat in the second contest for the Bulldogs at the plate.

UVa-Wise will host West Virginia Tech on Sunday for a single game starting at 1:00 p.m.

Game 1
TWC 305 233 0 16-15-1
UVa-Wise 003 000 1 4-9-5
WP: Chris McCreery C-Dean McDermond
LP: Brandon Bates (6-1) C-Matt Hall
Clay Salyer (4th)
Chris Codemo (6th)
Brandon Horton (7th)
2B: Katman (T), J. Stanley (T), Reed 2(W), Narvaez (W); HR: Burnsed (T), Elie 2 (T), Jenkins (T), Narvaez (W)

Game 2
TWC 101 023 0 7-10-3
UVa-Wise 012 000 2 5-8-0
WP: Ryan Stanley C-Justin Barnes
Bobby Katman (6th)
LP: Josh Verts (3-1) C-Matt Hall
David Jones (7th)
SV: Nick Kooch (7th)
2B: J.Stanley 2 (T), HR: Gonzalez 2 (T), Laboy (W)