Late Runs End WVU Season
May 22, 2009 11:57 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
May 22, 2009
BOX SCORE
CLEARWATER, FLA. – A damaging six runs in the seventh frame by USF ended WVU’s stay at the BIG EAST Championships as the West Virginia University baseball team fell, 11-6, to the Bulls on Friday evening at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla.
A two-run double in the seventh down the first base line by bottom hitter Peter Brotons of USF gave the Bulls (34-24) a momentum-building 6-5 lead. Junior Carlin then brought a runner home when he reached on an error by shortstop Jedd Gyorko, and three batters later pinch hitter Brandon Smith laced a two-run double down the left field line to give USF a sizeable 10-5 advantage.
Dan DiBartolomeo led the Mountaineers (37-18) by going 3-for-4 with one home run and three RBIs. Austin Markel added his 15th home run of the season, tying Joe McNamee for the third highest single season total in WVU history, and contributed with two hits to give WVU its other multi-hit performer.
WVU starter Jonathan Jones (6-2) capped a substantial freshman season with a loss, giving up five earned runs on 10 hits in 6.1 innings against a high-powered USF offense. Chris Enourato relieved Jones in the seventh, not allowing an earned run in 2.2 innings pitched.
USF reliever Kevin Quackenbush (2-2) got the win in relief, giving up one run on six hits in four innings. Starter Derrick Stultz gave up five runs on three hits in five innings of work.
DiBartolomeo got WVU on the scoreboard first when he singled up the middle to bring in Gyorko, making it 1-0. With two outs, Gyorko and Belnome drew consecutive walks to allow DiBartolomeo to drive in his 57th run of the season.
In the second frame, USF struck back with a run of its own. With one out, Ryan Lockwood hit a double to center field, and Jones proceeded to walk the next three batters to bring Lockwood home and tie the game at 1-1.
Markel led off the third inning with a towering solo home run to left center, his 15th of the season and his second in as many games. After Gyorko and Belnome drew back-to-back walks and DiBartolomeo put both in scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Grant Buckner smacked a first-pitch offering to the warning track in center field for a sacrifice fly, making it 3-1.
USF’s Todd Brazeal countered with a three-run home run on a 3-2 pitch from Jones in the fifth, giving the Bulls their first lead at 4-3. Jones subsequently gave up a walk and single to his next two batters with no outs, but retired three consecutive Bulls hitters to elude even more damage.
DiBartolomeo came through again in the bottom half, hitting a two-run home run on a 1-2 pitch from Stultz with two outs as WVU reclaimed the lead at 5-4.
After USF mounted six runs in the seventh inning, WVU inched back with one run in the eighth. With two outs, Colin Durborow hit a double into the right center gap, and Justin Parks proceeded to hit a two-strike offspeed pitch into left field for an RBI single, helping WVU claw back at 10-6.
WVU’s 37 overall wins in 2009 tie the 1998 team (37-17) for the most in victories in one season since joining the BIG EAST in 1996. The Mountaineers also end the season boasting three .400-plus hitters (DiBartolomeo, Gyorko, Belnome) for the first time in school history (minimum of 100 at-bats).
DiBartolomeo also concludes his sophomore campaign with the highest single-season batting average in WVU history. The Margate, N.J., native finished with a .439 average, breaking former Mountaineer Bob Bernardo’s mark of .430 in 1984.
