Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 26, 1990 TAG: 9004260102
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
That's because, on a day when Virginia bopped the Hokies' junior right-hander for 16 hits and seven runs in eight-plus innings, Tech's batters were even more proficient.
"We were in the zone," said third baseman Len Wentz, who was 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI as the Hokies dumped UVa 14-7 in baseball.
Williams had given up 75 hits in 87 innings entering the game. His ERA was 2.69. Thus, coach Dennis Womack didn't expect much from his Cavaliers' bats.
"You don't expect coming into the game, realistically, to walk out there and hit the ball hard all day long [against him]," Womack said.
Second baseman Bobby Rivell led UVa's offense, going 5-for-5 with four singles and a double. Virginia, though, never led.
Tech hit first-time starter Mark McMillan for five runs in the first, two scoring on Wentz's double, and the Cavaliers couldn't find anyone to stop throwing batting practice. Womack used four pitchers, but every Hokie had at least one hit, all but one scored and all but two drove in runs.
"He was just laying it in there," Wentz said of McMillan. "Good speed to hit, the curve ball wasn't breaking that well."
For corroboration, see Clint Creed. Tech's catcher, who was injured in preseason and rejoined the team 22 games ago, was 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI. Or see freshman J.R. Hawkins, who was 2-for-2 with an RBI, three walks and three runs scored. Or outfielder Steve Render, another injured Hokie who came back at midseason, who was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
"They've given us a little extra offense," Tech coach Chuck Hartman said of Creed and Render.
The victory came after two straight losses, part of a 5-5 stretch that followed a 15-game Tech winning streak. To Wentz, it was like a cool shower on a steamy day.
"The winning streak put so much pressure on us, and I think we let it get to us," he said. "Maybe we can start from today."
Hartman hopes so. The Hokies, in first place in the Metro Conference by percentage points over nationally ranked Florida State, have nine days off because of final exams. On May 8 at Salem Municipal Field, the Seminoles and Hokies begin a three-game series that may decide the Metro race.
Hartman is worried that Tech's bats will be sluggish after the layoff, so he is trying to schedule a makeup game for May 2, the day exams end. The days off, he said, will help the pitchers.
So would another game.
"We'd like to play on [May 2] real bad; it would set up our pitching," said Hartman, whose team was 2-1 against UVa this year. "We could pitch all our [starting] pitchers one time by Florida State."
Hartman probably would like Williams to start the opener of that series. But he would like it to be the real Williams, not the hittable version the Cavaliers saw.
"[People were asking] why is he still in there?" Hartman said of Williams. "I said, `He throws strikes, and you can't get but so many hits.' "
So many were too few for UVa.
Virginia010002202-7161 Virginia Tech51103112x14171
McMillan, Stock (1), Melroy (4), Moore (8) and O'Sullivan; Williams, Clontz (9) and Creed. W - Williams (10-1). L - McMillan (0-1). HR - Wentz (VT), 2nd, none on; Lindner (UVa), 6th, none on; Jennette (VT), 6th, none on; Creed, 7th, none on; Cunha (UVa), 9th, one on.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB