Parker’s sac fly lifts Cavs in 11th frame

By Jay Jenkins
Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: April 22, 2008

Michael Schwimer admittedly was guilty.

Virginia’s hard-throwing closer, busy with academic work and an unforgiving schedule that included 15 games in 20 days, forgot to purchase a gift for an important holiday.

Schwimer’s parents were forced to settle for a season-best 3.1 innings of scoreless relief work from their son to help celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary.

Franco Valdes and Jarrett Parker also chipped in, helping gift wrap the game with late-inning heroics that lifted Virginia to a 3-2 victory over Wake Forest in 11 innings at Davenport Field.

“That is a perfect present for them,” Schwimer quipped.

More importantly, it was the perfect result for a team that was forced to soul search following a lopsided 11-run loss Saturday night to the Demon Deacons (15-24, 7-13 ACC).
“We really needed that win,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “There were guys that didn’t get the job done at times, but there were guys there to pick them up in this game.
“I am really proud of the team and how they responded to adversity.”

Virginia (31-11, 13-8) secured the win in the 11th inning after Valdes opened the frame with a two-strike double down the right-field line.

“The entire series they had pitched me away, away, away and then came back inside,” Valdes said. “They came back in with two strikes with a fastball and I was able to turn on it.”
Approaching second, Valdes peered towards third-base coach Kevin McMullan with visions of his second triple of the week. He was denied that chance.

“I took that big turn and coach Mack threw his hands up,” Valdes chuckled.

Rookie designated hitter John Barr, who had the game-winning hit in Friday’s 4-2 win, followed with a sacrifice bunt that advanced pinch runner Corey Hunt to third.

Parker promptly sent the season’s best crowd of 3,230 home with a sacrifice fly. The opposite-field swing, which came off Wake reliever Brad Kledzik, forced leftfielder Willy Fox to race backwards, and it never produced a play at the plate.

“I was sitting on a fastball,” Parker said. “I knew I had scored the run. I can’t tell you how — I just knew.”

Parker’s third game-winning hit did not come without a small penalty. The centerfielder ended up at the bottom of a player pile near second base in what would have drawn an excessive celebration penalty in football.

“This win was huge for us,” Parker said. “This was just the kind of momentum swing that can carry us through the rest of the season.”

Valdes added: “I consider it to be one of our biggest wins. We gave it all we had until the very end. Nobody on this team was going to quit.”

Parker’s second RBI of the game gave Schwimer his second win of the season.

That would likely not have been possible had Schwimer struggled when he entered in the eighth inning with runners at the corners and two outs.

Schwimer, who entered the game tied for second in the nation with 11 saves, said his adrenaline was flowing.

“I was trying to use it to my advantage,” he said. “When I came into the season, my goal was to only allow 20 percent of inherited runners to score.”

Schwimer remained perfect in that category, getting out of the jam by getting Wake Forest second baseman Dustin Hood to ground out to first. He also worked in near-perfect fashion in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings.

Long before Schwimer emerged from Virginia’s bullpen, however, those in attendance were treated to quite a pitcher’s duel.

Wake Forest starter Ben Hunter, on the heels of a 10-strikeout performance against Virginia Tech, worked eight full innings, allowing only six hits and two walks. The converted reliever also fanned seven.

Virginia starter Andrew Carraway nearly matched those numbers — the junior went seven innings, allowing seven hits and both earned runs while striking out four.

It was in the second inning, however, that Carraway likely salvaged what could have snowballed into a big inning for the Demon Deacons.

After allowing a lead-off single to Mike Murray, Hood dropped down a sacrifice bunt that stopped rolling near the mound. Carraway had pursued but was called off late by third baseman Tyler Cannon.

Carraway tried to stop in his tracks but slipped and fell to the ground, kicking the ball away from Cannon.

“When I stood up, I looked back and saw a six-foot skid mark in the grass,” Carraway said. “I heard Tyler and it was just too late.”

Carraway retired the next two batters with sacrifice flies, which allowed Murray to score, but also helped the Georgia native escape the inning.

“That was a big inning for our ballclub,” O’Connor said. “Andrew made big pitches when we needed him to in that inning. That’s where the game could have changed and he stepped up.”

UVa tied the game with a lone run in the fourth on an RBI double by David Coleman that plated Dan Grovatt.

Wake bounced back, breaking the deadlock in the fifth on an RBI double from Ben Terry.

The Demon Deacons held the 2-1 advantage until Virginia scored an opportunistic run in its half of the seventh.

After Valdes opened the inning with a single up the middle, Barr popped up a bunt into foul territory that narrowly turned into a double play. But the relay throw to first was low, allowing Valdes to scamper back in.

After a wild pitch that pushed Valdes to second, Parker pulled Hunter’s pitch into right field for a run-scoring single.

“Parker really look comfortable in that at-bat,” O’Connor said. “He has done that numerous times for us this season.”

For the game, both teams finished with nine hits and combined to strand 19 runners.

With the win, Virginia maintained the league’s fourth-best record, trailing only Miami (17-2), Florida State (18-3) and North Carolina (16-4).

The Cavaliers play two mid-week games at home — they host Georgetown on Tuesday and William & Mary on Wednesday — before playing their final road series in the league at Miami.