Long Ball and Late Rally Aides in UVa-Wise Baseball Sweep of Bluefield

March 17, 2008
Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

Wise, Va. – Mike Lang lined two of the five opening game home runs and a three-run sixth in the late game aided UVa-Wise to sweep rival Bluefield College in Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball action Monday. The Cavs breezed to an 11-3 first game victory before rallying for the 3-2 late affair.

Lang (Fredericksburg, Va.) produced his first two home run game of his collegiate career as part of a three-hit day to help UVa-Wise (10-9) improve to 5-1 in the league. Brad Robbins (Big Stone Gap, Va.) continued to slowly raise his average just under .500 by going four for seven with a homer and double in game one and two singles in the second game. Jorge Laboy (Woodbridge, Va.) added three hits in four at bats with a home run while Josh Verts (Winchester, Va.) belted a three-run round-tripper. John Bigley (Woodbridge, Va.) lined three singles in the late game.

Game 1

Bluefield’s Tony Singleton jumped on the first pitch of the game for a home run to right field before UVa-Wise tied it 1-1 in the home half.

The Cavs went ahead for good in the third. With one out, Lang sliced his first home run to right. Matt Hall (Hillsville, Va.) singled and scored on a Laboy home run to right for a 4-1 score.

In the fifth, Laboy lofted a sac fly before Verts pounded a three-run home run to right to increase the UVa-Wise lead to 8-1. After Bluefield (12-5/1-3 AAC) scored once in the top of the seventh, Lang homered a second time and Robbins added a long blast of his own, a two-run shot, three batters later to make it 11-2 UVa-Wise. The Rams scored once in the ninth but could muster no more for the 11-3 final.

Brock Funk (Fries, Va.) went the distance for the Cavs. He scattered 11 hits, two earned runs and fanned three to improve to 2-2.

Game 2

The Rams’ Wes Demmitt homered to left field to start the second inning. The visitors added an unearned run in the fourth for a 2-0 score.

Trailing by the 2-0 score in the home sixth, Laboy and Robbins singled and Verts walked to start the at bat. Bigley singled to right field and Edwin Narvaez ground out to then tie the game, 2-2. Pinch runner Brad Ricker (Bristol, Va.) raced home on a wild pitch for what would be the game-winner on the next batter.

Scott Cole (Stuart, Va.) produced 3.2 innings of scoreless relief work where he allowed three hits, walked one and struck out one for the win.

The Cavs will now be off until Saturday when they play at the Virginia Intermont Cobras starting at 1:00 p.m.