Wake Forest University
Va Commonwealth
Wake Forest Loses Close One To Virginia Commonwealth
3/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 14, 2001
RICHMOND, Va.. - Sophomore right fielder Jose Pabon (Woodbridge, Va./Potomac) stroked an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Virginia Commonwealth (13-5) to a 10-9 victory over 25th-ranked Wake Forest (14-4) in baseball Wednesday afternoon at The Diamond.
The win was the Rams' ninth straight, the program's most consecutive victories since VCU reeled off 10 consecutive triumphs during the 1999 campaign, and improved their mark to 9-0 on their home field this season. Six Ram players collected at least two hits on the afternoon, led by junior second baseman Bryan Gillespie (Grafton, W.Va./Potomac State JC), who finished three-for-five with three runs scored and two RBI.
VCU held a 9-2 lead after six innings of play before the Demon Deacons rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh, and Wake Forest tied the game on a two-run homer by freshman Steve LaFaivre off senior Chad Baumann (Lanesville, Ind./Floyd Central).
The Rams responded in their half of the frame when sophomore first baseman Danny Lopaze (Lakeridge,Va./Potomac)blooped a one-out double off Deacons' closer Dave Bush (2-1) and scored on Pabon's single to right center. Baumann then retired Wake Forest in order in the ninth to earn his third win in four decisions this spring.
VCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead off Deacons' starter Brad Comer in the first when Gillespie tripled home junior center fielder Matt Davis (Colonial Heights, Va./Thomas Dale) and scored on an RBI groundout by junior shortstop Joshua Arteaga (Homestead, Fla./Motlow State CC). Wake Forest tied the game in the second on solo home runs by senior Cory Slavik and sophomore Ryan Johnson, but the Rams' answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-2 lead. A bases-loaded walk to junior Chris Gerrity (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) followed by a run-scoring fielder's choice off the bat of Davis gave the Rams' a five-run cushion, and VCU starter Marc Fisher (Conshohoken, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) retired 13 consecutive Demon Deacon hitters between the second and sixth frames before tiring during Wake's five-run seventh inning.
Arteaga compiled two hits and a pair of RBI for the Rams in the win, while Lopaze also drove home two runs on the day. Wake Forest was led offensively by Slavik, who finished three-of-four with three runs scored, while LaFaivre had two hits in two at-bats and knocked in three runs in defeat.
VCU will continue its homestand tomorrow afternoon when the Rams meet Pace University in the opener of a three-game series. Game time is 1 p.m. Wake Forest begins a three-game set at Atlantic Coast Conference-rival North Carolina on Friday.
