Hall’s Suicide Squeeze Gives UVa-Wise Baseball Split with King

March 2, 2008
Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

Wise, Va. – Matt Hall’s suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth gave UVa-Wise an Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball split with King College Sunday afternoon. The Tornado’s Joey McCown and Brandon Wallace combined on a six-hitter, 3-0, in the opener before Hall’s bunt scored Edwin Narvaez for the 4-3 second game win.

Hall (Hillsville, Va.) drove in three of the Highland Cavaliers’ (4-7/1-1 AAC) four runs on two hits with a double in the latter contest. Alan Stoupa (McLean, Va.) added two hits in the late game. Brad Robbins (Big Stone Gap, Va.) and Mike Lang (Fredericksburg, Va.) had two hits on the day and Luis Roa lined a double.

King (10-2/1-1 AAC) outhit its host 17 to 14 on the day. Brett Cant and Bryan Cruze, who doubled, lined three hits apiece. Justin Reising, Drew Trujillo and Mike Torrence added two-baggers.

Game 1

Tornado starter McCown scattered three hits and did not allow a runner past second base while fanning five and walking one. Wallace came on in relief over the final frame and a third. The reliever worked out of a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh to complete the 3-0 shutout.

The two hurlers lone extra base hit was a sixth inning double by the Cavs’ Roa.

King received run-scoring hits by Cruze in the fourth and Trujuillo’s double in the top of the ninth.

Game 2

After tying the game in the bottom of the sixth, King and UVa-Wise went to the rivalry’s usual extra inning contest tied 3-3. Still tied into the home ninth, Narvaez singled to start the frame and Stoupa followed with an infield bunt before Lang was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Roa lined out to right field before Hall laid down a suicide squeeze bunt on a high pitch from Brandon Frye to plate a charging Narvaez for the winning tally, 4-3.

Josh Verts (Winchester, Va.) was solid over the final three frames in relief allowing just one hit, striking out one and walking another to pick up the victory.

UVa-Wise will next have a twinbill on Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. against Southern Virginia.