 RAMS TOP UNCW IN CAA
BASEBALL OPENER
3-23-01
WILMINGTON, N.C.- Senior catcher Cory
Bauswell's (Chesapeake, Va./Western
Branch) two-run single highlighted a
four-run fourth inning as Virginia
Commonwealth defeated North
Carolina-Wilmington 6-3 in Colonial
Athletic Association baseball Friday
night at UNCW‚s Brooks Field.
The Rams (1-0 CAA) improved to 20-5
overall and notched their 16th
consecutive win, just two short of the
school record set during VCU‚s NCAA
season of 1998.
UNCW (18-9, 2-2 CAA) took an early 1-0
lead off junior Bo Acors (Mechanicsville,
Va./Atlee) when junior Magnus Pilegard
singled home leadoff hitter Justin Wishon
in the bottom of the first inning.
Seahawks‚ junior Matt McDonnell
(4-1) had retired 10 straight VCU hitters
until surrendering four straight walks in
the fourth to tie the game, and Bauswell
chased the UNCW starter when he slashed
an opposite-field base hit with the bases
loaded to give VCU a 3-1 advantage.
Sophomore third baseman Robbie Gragnani
(Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) followed
with a sacrifice fly to plate senior left
fielder Kevin Elrod (Mechanicsville,
Va./Lee-Davis) with the Rams‚ fourth
run.
UNCW cut the Rams‚ cushion to 4-3 in
the sixth on a run-scoring single by
Jamie Hemingway and an RBI groundout by
Wishon, but senior Chad Baumann
(Lanesville, Ind./Floyd Central) and
junior Davy Martin (Mechanicsville,
Va./Lee-Davis) combined to shut the
Seahawks out over the final three frames
to preserve the win. Acors ran his season
record to 5-0 after allowing three runs
and striking out a season-high nine UNCW
batters over 5 1/3 innings.
The Rams also received a two-run ninth
inning homer by sophomore right fielder
Jose Pabon (Woodbridge, Va./Potomac),
while Elrod and junior center fielder
Matt Davis (Colonial Heights, Va./Thomas
Dale) each had two hits each in the win.
VCU and UNCW will again play tomorrow at
7 p.m.
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