Robbins and Smith Pitching Leads Cavs to Sweep of Bears

April 17, 2008
Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

Wise, Va. – Brad Robbins fired a four-hit shut out and Preston Smith followed with five-plus strong frames to lead UVa-Wise to a baseball doubleheader sweep of Pikeville, 5-0 and 4-3, Thursday evening.

Robbins (Big Stone Gap, Va.) had his best start of the year on the mound for the Cavs (22-17). He scattered four hits, walked three and struck out eight in the complete game victory. The sophomore helped his own cause with a first inning two-run home run, his ninth of the year.

Smith (Bristol, Va.) went 5.1 innings for his first collegiate win. The lefty allowed three earned runs and six hits and fanned four before Josh Verts (Winchester, Va.) went the final 1.2 innings for his fourth save.

Jorge Laboy (Woodbridge, Va.) lined a fifth inning hit in the second game to break the program’s career hit record. His single over first base was his 208 th hit to surpass Steve Tyler (1999-2002), who had 207.

Matt Duffy (Martinsville, Va.) added a run-scoring triple and two singles. Luis Roa, John Bigley (Woodbridge, Va.), Verts and Brad Austin (Hillsville, Va.) laced doubles.

John Williamson and Chris Rakes tripled and Rob Stacy doubled for Pikeville (3-20).

Game 1

In the bottom of the first, Laboy singled to right and scored when Robbins homered to right field. Three batters later, Duffy tripled to center field to plate Verts, who reached on a fielder’s choice for a 3-0 lead.

Robbins helped his own cause again with a sac fly in the fourth and Adam Skoranski (Cheyenne, Wyo.) lofted his own sac fly to complete the scoring for the 5-0 final. Robbins improved to 2-2 on the season.

Game 2

Pikeville struck early against Smith. The Bears’ Rakes tripled to right center to drive in Brandon Fleming and Josh Adams, who singled and walked, for their first lead, 2-0.

With two outs, Roa doubled to right field to plate Duffy, who singled, to get UVa-Wise on the board in the home second.

Trailing 2-1, Laboy singled over the Bears’ first baseman to score Roa to tied the game, 2-2. Austin came around to score on a throwing error before Bigley hit home Laboy for a 4-2 score.

After the first, Smith held Pikeville scoreless over the next four full frames. The freshman fanned the lead-off batter in the sixth before allowing a triple by the Bears’ Williamson. Verts came on in relief and enticed a run-scoring ground out to second following an opening walk. On what would have been a passed ball, UVa-Wise catcher Skoranski raced back to home to tag out Rakes to end the sixth, 4-3.

Verts completed his fourth save in the seventh for the 4-3 final.

UVa-Wise will remain at home for its ‘Senior Day’ and home finale in a 1:00 p.m. Saturday twinbill against Appalachian Athletic Conference rival Milligan College.