URBANA, Ohio - - UVa-Wise and Urbana University split a pair of one run games Sunday afternoon. Greg Duncan pitched the first complete game of his collegiate career in UVa-Wise's 5-4 win in the opener before a late rally fell short for the Cavaliers in a 4-3 loss in the series finale. The game two loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Hank Banner's club who went 3-1 on the weekend and 5-1 for the week.
Duncan allowed just one baserunner through the first three innings as the two schools entered the fourth inning scoreless.
UVa-Wise (8-13, 5-3 MEC) broke through in the fourth as Tyler Blaum, Josh Haga and Brock Smith each had an RBI to give the guests a 3-0 advantage.
An inning later, an RBI groundout by Timmy Meador gave the Cavs a 4-0 spread.
Urbana would collect its first hit of the game in the fifth when Daniel Quiroz doubled home Connor Coy who had walked to lead off the frame. A batter later, Marcel Toney grounded to shortstop allowing Tanner Davis to score.
With its lead cut to 4-2, UVa-Wise scored an unearned run in the sixth to push the lead to three.
In the seventh, Urbana would score a pair of unearned runs but, Duncan would strikeout Brad Burkholder looking to finish off the win.
Duncan struck out five while scattering four hits against two walks as he evened his record at 2-2 on the year.
Stuart Paz was the lone Cav to post a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
Missed opportunities would be the story of game two for UVa-Wise. The Cavs loaded the bases with nobody out in the first before failing to score. An inning later, Hank Banner's club would again load the bases and fail to score.
In the third inning, an RBI groundout by Josh Haga put the visitors in front 1-0 but two more runners would be stranded.
In the home half of the inning, Urbana would push across a pair of runs to take its first lead of the day thanks to two errors.
The score would remain unchanged until the fifth when Urbana plated two more unearned runs to make the score 4-1. That inning, the Cavs committed three errors as part of the five made in the contest.
UVa-Wise would not go down without a fight as Cal Bailey singled in a run on a 3-2 pitch before an RBI groundout by Matthew Branham cut the lead to 4-3.
After Jimmy Vanosdale fired a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, the Cavs came to the plate down to their final three outs.
After back-to-back outs, Jordon Turner lined a single up the middle but Robbie Guerrero would work out of the jam to record the win.
Brett Yates and Timmy Meador had two hits each in the loss but, UVa-Wise left 13 runners on base.
RJ Vanvickle was the hard luck loser, the freshman allowed one earned run while striking out four in four innings of work.
UVa-Wise will be back in action Friday at 1 p.m. when Fairmont State visits Stallard Field.
