UVa-Wise Pounds 33 Hits in Baseball Sweep of Covenant

March 10, 2008
Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

Lookout Mountain, Ga. – After various schedule adjustments from the weekend weather, UVa-Wise broke out its dormant bats with 21 runs and 33 hits in 16 innings to sweep Covenant College in a Monday Appalachian Athletic Conference twinbill. The Highland Cavaliers received a run-scoring double in the top of the ninth from Matt Duffy for an 8-7 game one win while they raced to a seven-run early lead to take the late contest in easy fashion, 13-2.

On the day, UVa-Wise (8-7/3-1 AAC) received big days at the plate by the quartet of Brad Robbins (Big Stone Gap, Va.), Duffy (Martinsville, Va.), Josh Verts (Winchester, Va.) and Jorge Laboy (Woodbridge, Va.). Robbins recorded six hits with two doubles, Duffy accounted for a double and five hits, Verts added five hits of his own with a pair of doubles and Laboy laced five singles on the afternoon.

Matt Painter (Stephens City, Va.) picked up his first victory in the opener in relief and Verts picked up his second save. David Jones (Amelia, Va.) went six strong innings where he allowed just two hits and one run with five strikeouts for the late mound win.

Game 1

Trailing 7-3 heading into the home eighth, the Scots (4-16/0-4 AAC) pushed across four tallies to tie the game, 7-7. The Cavs did not let the tie last for long. Robbins led off the top of the ninth with a single and came home as Duffy followed him with a rbi double for what would be the 8-7 final. Verts came on to blank Covenant in the bottom of the ninth for the save.

Game 2

After a scoreless first frame, the Cavs received doubles from Luis Roa, Verts and Robbins as part of a five-hit and four-run top of the second. The visitors added two more scores in the third and a single tally in the fourth to open a 7-0 lead.

The seven-run advantage was all starter Jones would need. He gave up just two hits and one run over six innings. UVa-Wise led 8-1 heading into the seventh where it put the game out of reach with five runs to make it 13-1.

Seth Frisby (Yorktown, Va.) logged the final inning and allowed one run for the 13-2 final over Covenant.

Matt Hall (Hillsville, Va.) and Mike Lang (Fredericksburg, Va.) each added two hits with Lang having a double at the plate. Roa lined three hits with one being a two-bagger.

UVa-Wise will play its regularly schedule doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. at Reinhardt College on Tuesday afternoon.

Game 1
VA 103 100 201 - 8-17-3
CC 020 001 040 - 7-12-2

WP: Painter (1-0) C-Alan Stoupa
Funk (1)
Verts (9)
LP: Lowderhouse C-Duckett
SV: Verts (2)
2B: Verts (VA), Robbins (VA), Duffy (VA)

Game 2

VA 042 101 5 - 13-16-0
CC 000 010 1 - 2-2-2

WP: Jones (2-0) C-Stoupa
Frisby (7)
LP: Figert C-Ketzner
2B: Roa (VA), Verts (VA), Lang (VA), Robbins (VA)