ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, May 14, 1996 TAG: 9605140040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BOYERTOWN, PA.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIRGINIA TECH loses 5-2 and 8-2 as the Minutemen win their second straight A-10 tournament.
The University of Massachusetts came out of the losers' bracket to defeat Virginia Tech twice Monday at Bear Stadium and win the Atlantic 10 baseball tournament. The Minutemen downed the Hokies 5-2 and 8-2 to win their second consecutive A-10 title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Tournament MVP Nate Murphy's two-run homer in the first inning gave the Minutemen the lead for good in the second game. Massachusetts (37-11) added single runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings before shortstop Brad Gorrie put the finishing touches on the win with a three-run triple in the eighth. Murphy went 10-for-20 with three home runs and a tournament record 13 RBI for UMass.
Tech (35-24) outhit the Minutemen nine to six, but left the bases loaded three times and stranded a total of 12 runners. The Hokies scored on a bases-loaded walk to first baseman David Fitt in the first inning and on a UMass fielding error in the third inning.
Freshman designated hitter Eric Shiflett led Tech with three hits and left fielder Austin Rappe added two. Starting pitcher Matt Lichtel (3-2) took the loss.
Massachusetts' Bill Cooke earned the win with 41/3 innings of scoreless relief. Cooke (5-1) allowed four hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter.
The Minutemen forced a second game by coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win the first game of the day.
After being held scoreless for five innings by Tech senior right-hander Sean Hummel (7-4), UMass erupted for five runs on five hits in the sixth inning. The Minutemen got four consecutive hits during the rally, including a run-scoring double by Murphy and a two-run single by Doug Clark. Bryan Mazzaferro added another RBI-single with two outs.
Massachusetts got its final run off Hummel (7-4) in the eighth when catcher Andy Kiah drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk to bring home Murphy.
Left-hander David Dart (5-1) went the distance for UMass, giving up just two hits after the second inning and six overall. He struck out three and walked two.
Tech's runs off Dart came on an RBI-single by freshman catcher Barry Gauch in the second inning and a run-scoring double by Rappe in the fifth.
Rappe was joined on the all-tournament team by catcher/designated hitter Josh Herman and pitchers Brian Fitzgerald and Jon Hand.
Also named to the team were Gorrie, Dart, Murphy, Andy Kiah and Bryan Mazzaferro of Massachusetts; Mike Ganoesz of Temple; and Marty Sparks of Xavier.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB