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Virginia baseball on brink of elimination, gets reprieve with rain delay

The Cavaliers were trailing Mississippi State 5-3 in the NCAA super regional Sunday when rain forced the game to stop. Play will resume today at 4 p.m.

Associated Press

As rain falls, Virginia's Brandon Downes hits a home run during the second inning of the NCAA super regional against Mississippi State in Charlottesville, Va., Sunday.

Associated Press

Virginia's Scott Silverstein (29) pitches in the against Mississippi State in Charlottesville, Va., Sunday.

Associated Press

Mississippi State's Trevor Fitts pitches against Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., Sunday.

Associated Press

Mississippi State's Hunter Renfroe (34) makes a catch in the first inning of the NCAA super regional against Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., Sunday.

Associated Press

Virginia's Brandon Downes (10) runs toward home plate after hitting a home run against Mississippi State in Charlottesville, Va., Sunday.

Associated Press

Virginia fans cheer despite the rain in the second inning of the NCAA super regional against Mississippi State in Charlottesville, Va., Sunday.

Associated Press

Mississippi State's C.T. Bradford (10) makes the final out against Virginia on Monday.

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NCAA super regional

Virginia vs. Mississippi State
best-of-three

Saturday: Mississippi State 11, Virginia 6

Sunday: Mississippi State 5, Virginia 3, susp. bottom 7th

Monday: 4 p.m., Game 2 resumes;
Game 3 (if necessary)

Winner advances to the College World Series.

Doug Doughty | 981-3129

Sunday, June 9, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia was looking at its final six outs of the season Sunday night when the Cavaliers' Super Regional baseball game with Mississippi was interrupted by rain for the second time.

The game will resume at 4 p.m. today, the original starting time for a prospective Game 3. If the Cavaliers should rally to force a third game, it will follow the completion of the second game.

The Bulldogs pounded UVa's starting pitcher for the second straight night and were leading 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning when an electrical storm hit at 10:02 p.m.

Virginia had come into the weekend with a 35-3 home record and took an early lead for the second straight night as centerfielder Brandon Downes led off the Cavaliers' second inning with a home run.

On Saturday UVa (50-11) took a 3-2 lead after the first inning, only to fall victim to a 20-hit Mississippi attack in an 11-6 Bulldogs' victory.

Brandon Waddell, one of five freshmen to pitch for the Cavaliers, took the loss.

On Sunday, Virginia pinned its hopes on fifth-year senior Scott Silverstein, who entered the game with a 10-1 record and 2.86 earned-run average.

Silverstein had an relatively uneventful first inning and got the first out in the second inning before he started to lose control. That coincided with the arrival of a rain shower that resulted in a 22-minute delay.

Mississippi State scored only one run in the second as UVa benefitted from a batter's interference and an outfield assist by Downes, but the Bulldogs (47-18) pulled ahead in the next inning on a two-run homer by 6-foot-5, 272-pound first baseman Wes Rea.

Rea had hit only six home runs all seasons and the Bulldogs had not hit a home run May 16.

Three more hits in the fourth spelled the end for Silverstein, who handed the ball to All-ACC closer Kyle Crockett, who got a quick strikeout and then induced a two-out grounder to shortstop Nick Howard.

However, Howard bounced his throw to first and the Bulldogs increased their lead to 5-1 on their sixth unearned run in two games.

UVa had committed a season-high four errors Saturday night and had two more Sunday.

Crockett was able to slow down the Bulldogs but Virginia had few answers for left-handed Mississippi State reliever Chad Girodo, who replaced starter Trevor Fitts with one out in the third inning.

Fitts was making his fourth start of the season, none of which lasted over four innings, but the move seemed motivated mostly by Mississsippi State's desire to tap into its widely hailed bullpen.

Senior left-hander Chad Girodo was masterful, striking out 10 batters over a 4 2/3-inning span, many on swinging third strikes by UVa's bevy of left-handed hitters.

Girodo entered the game with a 7-1 record and 1.10 ERA, and prior to the stoppage the Cavaliers still hadn't faced vaunted Mississippi State closer Chad Girodo (2-0, 1.17, 17 saves).

Virginia got to Girodo briefly in the bottom of the sixth, with No. 9 hitter Nate Irving ripping a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line.

Next up was ACC batting leader Mike Papi, whose subsequent strikeout was the second of his three in a row. At that point, UVa had stranded seven hitters over a four-inning span.

Mississippi State right-fielder Hunter Renfroe was at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning and was facing an 0-2 count when lightning was detected in the distance. The home-plate umpire motioned for the players to leave the field as the grounds crew scrambled to cover the infield for the second time.

Fans were asked to evacuate the stadium but many remained in the concourse rather than run to their cars in a deluge. Large puddles formed quickly in the areas of the field not covered by the tarp.

Saturday, September 14, 2013