University of Virginia Library

Hilburn Chokes Rally

Surging Batmen Edge Duke, Near Lead

By DOUG DOUGHTY

Drawing to within a game
and a half of the ACC lead, the
surging Cavalier baseball team
edged Duke, 4-3, Sunday
afternoon to complete a
weekend in which it won
games and upped its
conference mark to 6-4.

Although first year lefty
John Cunningham had been
predicted to start Sunday's
contest with the Blue Devils,
Coach Jim West countered
with surprise starter Steve
Brindle.

Brindle had started
Saturday's first game against
Wake Forest but had been
battered in the early innings,
and it was Mr. West's hunch
that Brindle's arm was still
strong.

He wasn't far from right.
Brindle shut out the Blue
Devils for seven innings on two
hits and in an all-or-nothing
day, Brindle fanned eleven
batters while issuing nine
walks.

Virginia led off the scoring
in the first inning as Robbin
Marvin singled to open the
ballgame, stole second,
advanced to third on a
groundout and scored on an
error by Duke second baseman
Jim Thompson, one of four
Blue Devils miscues during the
afternoon.

Brindle helped his own
cause when he knocked in
Duval White in the fourth,
lending his teammates a
two-run cushion. Billy Hall
singled to start the inning and
chugged on toward second as
the Duke first sacker
mishandled the throw.

Hall was out at third on a
force out, with batter White
trucking to second on the
rundown. Dan Bernstein
singled, with White holding at
second, but Brindle came
through with a hit to raise the
Cav margin to 2-0.

Everything was ho-hum
until the eighth, when the Cavs
scored again, as Steve Sroba
pounded a 450-foot triple to
left (the Duke fences are a
mere 500 feet from the plate)
and tallied on a single by Hall.

The Wahoos were not the
only team to score in the
eighth. Brindle, cruising along
at this point got the first out
but then allowed two walks.
That was all right as long as the
next batter grounded out.

Then the roof fell in.
Brindle allowed two base
knocks, and then Brian
Hilburn, who came in to rescue
the starter, gave up another
single before the last out was

recorded. The score was now
tied, 3-3; but the stage was set
for the Cavaliers to score the
winning run in the ninth.

Catcher Bernstein started
the rally with a single to lead
off the inning. Bernstein,
replacing Al Bracht in the
lineup for all three weekend
games, went 4-11 during his
debut as a starter.

Hilburn batted next,
sacrificing Berstein to second.
Marvin coerced a walk from
the Blue Devil hurler and then
Terry Dan flicked a single to
left center which scored
Bernstein.

The game didn't end at that
point, as Hilburn had to work
for his first victory of the year.
The first Blue Devil singled, he
was sacrificed to second, and
stayed there during a ground
out and a walk. Hilburn
snuffed out the comeback,
however, when he induced the
last batter to ground out.

Not that Brindle and Hilburn
didn't pitch a good ballgame,
but Duke left 17 runners on
base and had numerous
opportunities to score, thanks
to five hits and the ten walks
allowed them by Cavalier
hurlers.

Leading the Wahoos to
ten hits were Marvin, Hall and
Bernstein, each of whom had
two singles. Marvin, on a hot
spree of late, raised his average
to .343 over the weekend,
good enough to tie for the
league lead. The next best
Cavaliers are Jonathan Williams
at .289 and Sroba, who checks
in at .276.

With just a week left in the
title race, the Cavaliers road to
a pennant is fairly clear. North
Carolina, at 10-5, has finished
its season, but the Cavaliers can
overtake the Tar Heels if they
can polish off each of their
four remaining conference
opponents.

Maryland hosts Virginia at
College Park, Thursday, before
the Cavs take on Clemson for a
double dip, Saturday, and a
single game, Sunday, both at
Lannigan Field.

Both Maryland, at 8-5, and
Clemson (6-2) still have a
chance at the league crown, with
Clemson the league percentage
leader at .750.

CD/Bob Humphrey

Billy Hall Beats Throw To Plate In Recent Cavalier Action