Baseball: Malloy, Enourato Lead WVU Past Illinois
March 07, 2010 02:15 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
March 7, 2010
BOX SCORE
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| Chris Enourato |
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Freshman Matt Malloy posted a game-high four RBIs and Chris Enourato earned the victory in long relief as the West Virginia University baseball team defeated Illinois, 11-8, in its final game of the Keith LeClair Classic on Sunday morning at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Mountaineers (3-7) were down 5-3 entering the fifth inning before scoring eight unanswered runs. Malloy’s two-run home run to left field tied the game at 5-5, and WVU later had a five-run eighth inning to break the game open.
WVU was saved on the mound by Enourato (2-0), who is responsible for two of WVU’s three victories in long relief. The senior from Bridgeport, W.Va., pitched seven innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits while striking out nine of 29 batters faced.
Enourato retired 16 of his first 17 hitters, continually pounding the strike zone with his slider and fastball. He threw 65 of his 109 pitches for strikes, holding down Illinois’ offense and allowing the Mountaineers to get back into the game.
WVU produced 14 base hits overall. Grant Buckner went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, freshman Matt Frazer added three hits which included a double and two RBIs and Dom Hayes also added three hits, one double and an RBI.
Redshirt junior Mark Dvoroznak reached base safely in four of five plate appearances, laying down two bunt singles and drawing two walks.
Illinois starter Corey Klimes (0-1) took the loss after giving up one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief. The Illini (1-5) used five pitchers in today’s game, with each giving up at least one run.
Frazer extended his hitting streak to nine games in the first inning when he singled up the middle to drive in Buckner from second base, putting WVU ahead 1-0.
The Illini did plenty of damage in its first at-bat, scoring all four runs with two outs. Casey McMurray singled to left field to drive in two runs, including one that crossed the plate after Frazer misplayed the ball in left field. Illinois reeled off five consecutive singles in the inning, including one by Brandon Hohl to centerfield that brought in two more runs to make it 4-1.
Two more runs were scored by WVU in the third frame to make it 4-3. Dvoroznak led off with a bunt single to the third base side, and later scored on Buckner’s single to right center. Buckner then scored on a single by Malloy, who battled back from an 0-2 count to fight off a 3-2 pitch into right field.
Illinois added another run in the third inning on an RBI single to left field by Matt Dittman, putting it ahead 5-3. Enourato then entered the game and managed to record three consecutive outs to end the frame.
Malloy followed with his first career round-tripper in the fifth inning, a two-run shot over the left field wall on a 2-1 pitch to knot the game at 5-5. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native brought in fellow freshman Frazer, who doubled down the right field line to begin the scoring.
WVU regained the lead in the sixth on a nicely executed hit-and-run that resulted in a run-scoring infield single by Buckner. Both Hayes and Dvoroznak went for a double-steal, and Buckner managed to find a gap through second base that was fielded by Pete Cappetta but culminated with an off-balance throw to home plate, where Dvoroznak slid under the tag.
A five-run output in the eighth inning gave WVU a commanding 11-5 advantage. Illinois was forced to use three pitchers during the frame as the Mountaineers produced four hits, beginning with Jedd Gyorko’s single to centerfield to put two runners on base. After Illini pitcher John Anderson entered in relief, Hayes swung on the first pitch and laced an RBI double into right center to score Dvoroznak.
Buckner followed with a bloop infield single to the right side to score Gyorko from third base, and Frazer hit a run-scoring single up the middle on a hit-and-run to give WVU a 9-5 lead. Malloy then grounded out to shortstop to bring in another run, and Jeremy Gum provided an important at-bat with a long sacrifice fly to left field with two strikes to put WVU ahead 11-5.
Illinois fought back with two runs in the bottom half, scoring on a wild pitch with two outs and then on an RBI single by Hohl to right field. It scored another run in the ninth, but its comeback bid ended when Cappetta grounded out to Brady Wilson at second base to end the game.
WVU begins its 12-game homestand on Tuesday, March 9, against Duquesne at Hawley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
