Virginia Baseball Drops Heartbreaker To #20 Auburn, 14-13

UVa jumped out to a 10-1 lead, but couldn't hang on in 27-run slugfest



Feb. 14, 2003

AUBURN, Ala. - The University of Virginia baseball team kicked-off its 2003 season by playing the first contest of a three-game weekend series with the #20 Auburn Tigers at Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park. In game one of the series, Virginia jumped out to a 10-1 lead after three and a half innings and appeared to be on its way to a victory. However, Auburn stormed back to score 13 of the next 16 runs to pull out a 14-13 victory with the game-winning run coming in the bottom of the eighth inning. There were a total of 31 hits, 27 runs and seven errors recorded in the contest.

Virginia jumped right out to an early 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning when UVa's Joe Koshansky got things started for UVa when he recorded the Cavaliers' first hit of the year with a single. In Virginia's next plate appearance, Ryan Zimmerman singled in his first collegiate at-bat to put base runners on first and second with no outs. After a sacrifice bunt by Tom Hagan to move Koshansky and Zimmerman to third and second respectively, Koshansky scored Virginia's first run of the season when Andrew Riesenfeld hit a RBI-single to center field to make it a 1-0 contest. In UVa's next at-bat, Scott Headd recorded a RBI-single that scored Zimmerman from third base to make it 2-0. After the Cavaliers loaded the bases, Chris Sweet hit a RBI-single to drive in Riesenfeld before Headd scored on a fielding error to give Virginia a 4-0 lead. UVa's Kyle Werman, who earlier walked to load the bases, scored a run of his own on a passed ball to push the Cavaliers' lead to 5-0.

Auburn scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning to make it a 5-1 game through two innings of play. But Virginia responded with four more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 9-1 lead. Hagan made it a 7-1 game when he hit a two-run, RBI-single up the middle to drive in Koshansky (walk) and Zimmerman (double) before Matt Street hit a two-run, RBI-single of his own to score Hagan and Headd, giving Virginia an eight-run lead at 9-1. But UVa didn't stop there, and the Cavaliers extended their lead to 10-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Zimmerman recorded his third consecutive hit of the game with his second double of the contest. Zimmerman connected on a double down the left field line to drive in Koshansky to score a run after he reached first base on a walk.

The Tigers were finally able to put together a scoring run of their own and added eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to pull within one run of UVa at 10-9. But Virginia responded right back and scored a three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to extend its lead to 13-9. Sweet connected on a RBI-single to score Street and Werman before Mark Reynolds drove in Sweet with a RBI-double to left field to give the Cavaliers a four-run lead.

Auburn added three runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull within one run of Virginia at 13-12. UVa was able to escape the inning without further damage as the Tigers left the bases loaded. However, Auburn was able to finally manage to pull even with Virginia for the first time since the first inning when the score was 0-0 after the Tigers' Josh Bell hit a solo home run to knot the score at 13-13 after seven complete innings of play.

Auburn took its first lead of the game at 14-13 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Bobby Huddleston connected on a RBI-single to center field that UVa's Sweet just nearly pulled in for an out. Huddleston's hit proved to be the game-winner after it scored Javon Moran from second base for the game-winning run. .

Virginia starting pitcher Jeff Kamrath went 3.1 innings and struck out two batters while allowing seven runs (three earned) on six hits with six walks. UVa's Andrew Dobies, Gabe Spooner, Scott Morgenthaler and Adam Laird all made appearances on the mound for the Cavaliers.

Auburn starting pitcher Eric Brandon lasted only 2.0 innings and gave up seven runs (five earned) on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks. The Tigers had a trio of pitchers make an appearance before Levale Speigner close out the game.

With the loss, Virginia's record falls to 0-1, while the victory improves Auburn's record to 4-1 on the year.

The Cavaliers and Tigers will return to action on Saturday, February 15th when Virginia and Auburn play the second game of the three-game weekend series at 2:00 PM (CT). The contest will be played at AU's Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park.