University of Virginia Library

Cavaliers Win Four;
Maine Nine Next Foe

Cavalier Southpaw Slugger Belts Long One Into Right In Lambeth Field Action

Coach Jim West's Mittmen Posted 4-2 Record On Break; Face Maine Thursday Afternoon

Jim West's Cavalier Baseball
team recently returned from a
season opening road trip through
North Carolina and Virginia with a
4-2 record.

To open the season the Cavaliers
defeated East Carolina of the
Southern Conference 3-1. Rick
Spigon, a sophomore in eligibility
after sitting out last year, went all
the way. The right hander scattered
eight hits and added an RBI double.

Virginia scored all of its runs in
the second inning, capitalizing on
two bases on balls, Spigone's
double and a two run single by
co-captain Joe DeBoe.

Then Spigon shut last year's SC
Champions out until the eight
inning when the Pirates pushed over
one run on a walk and two singles.

The following day, March the
twenty-first, the Cavaliers engaged
East Carolina again. But this time
the Pirates emerged the winner by
coming from behind twice to take
the game, 8-5. Sophomore
right hander Sonny, Robertson
picked up the victory.

The next stop on the team's
thirty-five game schedule was a
game with Davidson.

Behind the no-hit relief pitching
of Dave Greer and the Clutch
hitting of first-year man Terry Dan,
the Cavaliers pulled out a 4-2, ten
inning decision over the Wildcats.

Davidson scored first with two
runs in the second off starter Jan
Luse. Then the Cavaliers tied it up
with single runs in the fifth and
sixth innings. In the sixth a pinch
hitter for Luse gave Greer his
chance.

Greer did a fine job of mixing
his pitches and keep the Wildcat
hitters off balance. Flawless
fielding, including what Coach West
called four "great plays" by third
baseman Mike Cubbage and the
other infielders, backed up Dave
Greer's no-hit hurling.

In the tenth inning Bubba White
began the rally with a base on balls.
Then Bruce Boger cracked a sharp
single that sent White to third. With
two outs, Terry Dan came through
with a clutch double to send both
runs home.

Dan, from Memphis, where he
played for last year's national
champion American Legion team,
had two hits as did co-captain
Buzzy Schultz.

On Thursday, the Cavaliers met
the Indians of William and Mary,
winners of six of their last seven
games and hot after the Southern
Conference title.

William and Mary started their
ace, Richie Richardson (3-0). Coach
West countered with right hander
Ed Kihm. The game was a poor
match as Richardson was bombed
early and often. The Cavaliers
humiliated the Indians, 5-0.

The next afternoon Old
Dominion College scored three runs
in the seventh inning to nullify a
Virginia comeback and downed the
Cavaliers, 5-2. Virginia had tied the
game in the seventh only to see the
Monarchs pounce on tiring
right hander Rick Spigone in the
same inning for the winning margin.
The money hit was a two run single
by Buttons Speaks.

Old Dominion, in evening its
record at 4-4, took a 2-0 lead with
single tallies in the first and fifth
innings. In the seventh, run
producing singles by Steve Bryand
and Lou Paulson knocked out
ODC's fireballing freshman, Paul
Mitchell. But the Monarchs called
on left handed relief specialist Ray
Stricker, and the southpaw stopped
the rally cold and coasted the rest
of the way to pick up the win.

The two Monarch pitchers
combined for nine strikeouts,
including five by Mike Cubbage.

Bryant led the attack with three
hits, including a double in the
fourth inning. Paulson managed
two hits. After Spigon left the
mound in the eighth inning Greer
and Brad Jordan finished up.

Saturday afternoon Virginia's
Cavaliers scored four runs in the
eighth inning and coasted in behind
the steady relief pitching of Dave
Greer for a 16-14 conquest of
George Washington.

The Colonials had rushed off
to a big lead in the first inning
when they scored seven runs. But
the Cavaliers came back with a
seven run blast of their own in the
fifth to go ahead 12-11.

GW went ahead again in the
sixth on a bases loaded triple by
Ned Scherer off Greer after Sandy
Kreps had been removed as pitcher.
But Green bore down to get out of
the inning and picked up his second
win when the Cavaliers scored four
runs.