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Baseballers To Open ACC Season

Cavaliers Top Eagles 11-9

By Dave Marshall
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Virginia's baseball team chalked
up its eighth win yesterday with
a come-from-behind 11-9 decision
over Ashland College's Eagles.

Led by Steve "Bear" Bryant, the
Cavaliers tallied five runs in the
seventh inning to move ahead for
good and end their initial home
stand with a 4-1 ledger.

With the Eagles holding on to a
scant one run lead, 7-6, shortstop
Mike Judkins led off the sixth with
a walk. Dave Counts followed with
a ground ball to third, which the
Eagle infielder booted for an error.
The next batter, a pinch hitter for
hurler Dan Merchak grounded out,
advancing the runners in the
process. Then Joel DeBoe bounced
out to the first base-man unassisted,
who hurriedly threw to home plate
to get Judkins. But the throw was
was wide of the plate so both
Judkins and Counts scored easily.

Next Buzzy Schultz drew a
walk. After stealing second the
fourth-year Cavalier was driven
home on a 360 foot triple to right
field by Bryant. A pitching change
did the Eagles little help as Mike
Cubbage was hit by the new hurler
and awarded first for his pains.
Then Terry Dan punched a two run
single up the middle to finish off
Virginia's scoring.

Ashland's Eagles opened the
game with a rush. The Ohioans
took advantage of a tricky wind
and Cavalier miscues to jump to a
6-0 lead before the Cavaliers even
came to bat.

With one away Nick Colunio
singled to center and came around
to third when the fielders
misjudged the ground ball. The
next batter bounced to third where
Cubbage threw home, only to have
Counts drop the ball after making a
good tag. Then a sacrifice bunt was
fielded by the pitcher, Sandy
Kreps, whose throw to first baseman
DBoe was dropped. Following
a walk a questionable base hit
down the third base line brought in
another run. Another booted
grounder and a hit to left field
scored two more runs before a
flyout ended the Eagles' half of the
inning.

But Virginia came back. Coach
Jim West's Cavaliers "didn't quit"
and "took advantage of mistakes"
to tally six runs in their own half of
the first frame.

Ashland's pitcher, John Rasper,
ran up 3-2 counts on the first three
batters he faced before walking
them. After a strike-out Bubba
White sliced a fastball into short
left field, good for a double and
two RBI. Then Lou Paulson
grounded to the shortstop who
underthrew first for an error. When
the ball got away from the first
base-man Bryant, on third, broke
for home and just managed to score
under the catcher's mitt.

Judkins walked on a full count
to load the bases again. Soon after,
White scored on a passed ball. A
strike-out later Paulson crossed the
plate on a wild pitch. John Savage,
who pitched until the sixth,
replaced Rasper on the Eagles'
mound.

Robbin Marvin, pinch hitter for
Kreps, greeted the new hurler with
a ground single up the middle for
an RBI. An infield out finished the
frame.

Dan Merchak, a first-year right hander,
began the second inning in
complete control, striking out the
first two batters he faced. But a
two base error by Cubbage coupled
with a line drive single to left field
gave the Eagles their seventh run.

Merchak, the winning pitcher,
hurled shut-out ball until the sixth.
At that time Ron Miller led off
with a single. After a fly-out Bruce
Seder stroked another single. Paul
King, batting clean-up, soon chased
both runners home with a double in
the left field power alley to end the
Eagles' scoring.

Dave Greer relieved to pitch the
last three frames. The fourth-year
right hander did not allow a hit, the
nearest thing to one being a long,
lazy fly to the left field 'warning
track' in the ninth inning.

Virginia was led By Steve Bryant
with two hits in four trips and two
runs scored. Schultz and Judkins
each scored two. Ashland outhit
the Cavaliers 11-6.

Ashland's Eagles were led by
Ron Miller with two hits in five
trips to the plate and Frank
Pettigrew, starting his first game,
with three hits in five trips.

In sweeping the two game set
with the Ohioans the Cavaliers
wound up with a 4-1 record for
their initial home stand and 8-3
ledger overall.

On Friday the Cavaliers begin
the ACC part of their schedule with
a doubleheader with Clemson in
South Carolina. The next 21 games
will be with ACC competition, with
the exceptions of single games with
Richmond and Virginia Tech.

North Carolina State, last year's
NCAA finalist, is the pre-season
favorite in the ACC, with North
Carolina considered a dark horse.
Virginia, which won only ten games
in '68, will be trying to at least
break into the top five.