University of Virginia Library

Batmen Surpass
Onconta In Opener

By John Markon
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Ed Kihm Fanned Fourteen But Brian Hillburn Got Win

Cavalier Squad Faces UMass After Yesterday's 7-3 Triumph

Virginia's baseball Cavaliers
opened their season yesterday on a
cold afternoon in Lambeth Field by
scoring five runs in the eighth inning
and coming from behind to beat
Onconta State of New York by 7-3.

Things didn't seem to augur well
for Cavalier fortunes after Onconta
shoved across a run in the top of
the eighth to break a long-standing
2-2 tie. The score had been knotted
since the fourth when consecutive
singles by Wahoos Steve Sroba,
Dave Bratt, Billy Hall and Sammy
Beale helped Virginia match
Onconta's two unearned first inning
scores.

However, the game turned
around dramatically in the bottom
of the eighth. Reserve outfielder
Mike Massamini beat out an infield
hit and Red Dragon pitcher John
Wilhelm, hitherto the author of an
excellent performance, aided the
Virginia cause immeasurably by
mis fielding two bunts; throwing
one into centerfield and allowing
the other to roll between his legs
loading the bases.

Catcher Sammy Beale then put
Virginia ahead for the first time
with a solid drive to left field that
somehow eluded the outfielder's
grasp for a triple, clearing the bases.
Beale scored on a follow-up single
by Tom Blackburn and, after a
sacrifice bunt by winning pitcher
Brian Hilburn, Blackburn came in
on a single by Robbin Marvin.
Wilhelm was then dispatched to left
field and his relief, John LeSeuer,
finally cooled the Virginia hitters
enough to let the inning come to a
conclusion.

Hilburn struck out the side in
the ninth after a lead-off single and
the game ended 7-3. Virginia made
nine hits to Onconta's five and each
side was guilty of four errors.

While Hilburn will be credited
with the win in the opener, not to
be overlooked was a fine six-inning
stint by team Captain Ed Kihm.
After suffering through a two-run
first inning Kihm settled down and
pitched masterfully the remainder
of his stay on the mound, striking
out fourteen New Yorkers in the
six innings he worked.

The winterish weather
conditions, highly unsuited for
baseball, detracted from the game
in that routine plays were made
considerably more difficult.
Hopefully, more clement weather
conditions will prevail tomorrow
and Thursday when the Cavaliers
will host the University of
Massachusetts for two games, both
starting at 2:30 p.m.