University of Virginia Library

Lacross, Bracht Shine

Batmen Pound Onconta, 8-2

By JOHN MARKON

Dave Lacross' six-hit
pitching and the three hits and
two RBI's of his batterymate Al
Bracht led the Cavaliers to an
easy 8-2 win over State U. of
New York at Onconta here
yesterday.

Lacross, who entered the
game with an 0-2 won-lost
mark and a Brobdingnagian
35.22 earned run average, was
able to overcome serious
control problems (12 walks in
less than three innings) that
had plagued him through the
early part of the season and
record the victory, only the
Wahoos' second in their last
nine games.

In Onconta the Cavs were
facing a relatively good ball
club. The Redmen have won
their conference for the last
four years and gave last
season's Cavaliers a tough
battle before succumbing, 9-8,
in the last home opener held at
Lambeth Field.

Onconta Draws First Blood

Onconta drew first blood in
yesterday's affair, played at the
team's new UHall stomping
grounds, with a run in the
second on three walks and an
error by Lacross as the
righthanded hurler dropped a
toss from first baseman Tom
White while trying to cover the
bag on a bunt.

Centerfielder Steve Sroba's
third-inning double plated
Terry Dan and Billy Hall,
however, to give Lacross a lead
he never lost.

Ellis, Bracht Produce

There was no further
scoring until the home sixth
when a walk to replacement
rightfielder Mike Jordan and an
error by Onconta third-sacker
Ray Ellis put men on base for
White and Bracht, who both
delivered run-producing singles.

Lacross then drew a walk
and watched from the
base paths with pleasure as

Robbin Marvin's sacrifice fly
drove in White and Bracht
scored on a wild pitch making
the score 6-1.

After the wild pitch
Onconta manager Joe Axtell
yanked his starting pitcher
Mark Vivyan, a left handed
curve baller and the game's
loser, and inserted rightly John
Le Seuer.

Vivyan, who apparently had
fought a losing battle with a
spring weight problem, was an
unusual sight on the mound
but had managed to dodge
trouble until the sixth. The
team's best average hitter, the
portly portsider was moved to
first for the game's duration.

RBI singles by Bracht and
Marvin made two more
Virginia runs possible in the
home eighth while a single by
Cary Davis drove in Vivyan,
who had doubled, to close out
Ononta's scoring in the top of
the frame.

Ten hits were rapped out by
five Wahoo batsmen, with
Bracht gaining his three singles
and White, Marvin and Billy
Hall getting two base knocks
apiece. Sroba's double was his
only hit but gave him two
RBI's, tying him for team
honors with Bracht and
Marvin. White also had an RBI.

Lacross Shaves ERA

Lacross' totals were
considering his past record,
excellent. He went the whole
nine innings, struck out five
Onconta batters and walked
only four men. Only one of the
runs scored against him was
earned, thus shaving his ERA
by over 26 points.

Coach Jim West and his
team must have appreciated
the victory even more then
usual as the Cavs were coming
off a catastrophic spring swing
through Florida and the
Carolinas that had seen their
record fall from 4-2 to 5-9.

Dixieland decisions were
dropped to Jacksonville,
Florida, Erskine College and
Florida State (twice). Virginia
averaged a high 6.4 runs per
game against the Florida
schools but the young Wahoo
pitching staff was giving them
away at a 9.4 clip, hence the
five losses.

Opening their ACC season
last weekend, the Cavaliers
split a double-dip with N. C
State, winning 3-1 and losing
5-1, and took it on the chin
against North Carolina in a
Sunday game.

Carolina scored all their
runs in the third inning and
breezed to an 8-1 win. Next
Virginia game is tomorrow
against Virginia Tech at
Blacksburg with the team
coming home for an Easters'
weekend double-header with
Duke on Saturday afternoon.