March 30, 2007

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Virginia staked pitcher Jacob Thompson to a 3-0 lead in the second inning and the Cavalier right-hander, along with a pair of relievers, made it stand, as the No. 5 Cavaliers won the opening game of three-game ACC series with Virginia Tech 3-1 at English Field on Friday.

Thompson improved to 7-0 on the season, while allowing just one run on six hits during his seven innings on the mound. He struck out four batters and did not walk a man. Tech's only run came on a solo homer by left fielder Luke Padgett (Lynchburg, Va.) with two outs in the seventh. Right-hander Michael Schwimer pitched the eight inning for the Cavaliers, giving up one hit, and lefty Casey Lambert struck out the side on 10 pitches in the ninth to earn his seventh save.

Virginia (25-5; 6-4) opened the scoring with one out in the second inning. Catcher Beau Seabury and third baseman Patrick Wingfield posted back-to-back singles against Tech starting pitcher Greg Fryman (Gibsonia, Pa.) to get things started. Following the second fly out of the inning, center fielder Tim Henry delivered a two-run double. Henry then scored the final run of the inning on a single by designated hitter Greg Miclat.

Fryman (2-4) settled down after the second inning and allowed just four hits over the final seven innings in pitching the Hokies' first complete game of the season. The senior right-hander retired 17 of the last 20 batters he faced, including 10 in a row at one point. He struck out two batters and walked three.

Virginia finished with nine hits, including two each by Seabury and Henry. The Hokies (15-12; 4-6) got a 3-for-4 day from first baseman Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) on the way to seven total hits.

The Hokies and Cavaliers are scheduled to continue their three-game series on Saturday afternoon at 1. The game will be televised by Regional Sports Network and shown on Comcast and Fox College Sports Atlantic.