University of Virginia Library

Batters Down
Mainemen, 5-4

By John Markon
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Firmly establishing their
reputation as a strong late-innings
ball club, Virginia's undefeated
baseball team pulled out their sixth
consecutive victory yesterday, a 5-4
verdict over Maine played at
Lambeth Field.

Cavalier chances looked poor
going into the bottom of the
seventh as the Maine men had
grabbed a 4-0 lead and Black Bears
pitcher Mike Jones was working on
a no-hitter. Maine was able to
accumulate the lead with their
skillful combining of timely hitting
and costly errors by Wahoos Billy
Hall and Mike Cubbage.

Virginia fought back with a run
in the seventh, however, as an error,
a base on balls, and a single loaded
the bases. After Sammy Beale
grounded meekly into a mistimed
double play, Billy Hall plated Steve
Sroba with a solid single. Jones
walked pinch hitter Jim Sebo to
again fill the sacks but pinch batter
Jon Williams terminated the threat
by grounding back to the box.

Jones' troubles were far from
over. To begin the Cavs' eighth
Robbin Marvin singled and Terry
Dan reached on a fielder's choice.
Mike Cubbage flied out but Sroba,
batting .471 at game time, knocked
in Marvin with a single. Dave Bratt
then sent a high octane liner into
center that eluded the grasp of
Maine's Frank Davis and rolled to
the fence. Bratt was able to score
when, during an attempted play on
him at third, Maine shortstop
Dennis Libbey's throw broke
through the legs of third sacker
Billy West and rolled into the now
highly excited Virginia bench area.

Winning pitcher in the game was
Mike Judkins, now 2-0, in relief of
starter Al Strange and Rick Temple.
Judkins gave the small Lambeth
crowd an anxious moment in the
ninth, allowing two runners to
reach base with two outs, but
ended the game in strong fashion.

The Cavaliers had taken their
fifth straight victory of the young
season Tuesday as they upended
the Davidson Wildcats, 7-3, in the
lone game of a scheduled two-game
set at the Southern Conference
college.

Davidson broke away to a 2-0
lead in the second inning but a
strong comeback of six runs over
the following three innings netter
Virginia an insurmountable 6-2
margin. A three-run Cavalier
uprising in the third inning gave
Virginia the lead and when the
Wahoos pushed over an additional
two runs in the fourth inning,
Wildcat starter and eventual loser
Mike Frye was driver from the
mound.

The Wahoos scored a run in
both the fifth and seventh innings
but the damage had been done, and
a Davidson tally in the bottom of
the ninth did nothing to effect the
outcome.

Sophomore Steve Brindle went
all the way for the Cavaliers,
limiting the Wildcats to six hits and
only one run after a rocky second
frame. Junior Robin Marvin paced
the Virginia attack with three
safeties, including a double in the
third inning.

The next action for the Cavaliers
will be a weekend road trip with
stops at Old Dominion and William
and Mary. Ashland College of Ohio
will be in for a 2:30 game on April
4 for the benefit of all
non-ballplayers abstaining from
spring break.