| Viera, FL–
When a pro team plays a college team, you never know what the outcome will be. You would expect a blowout, but this ended in a 3-0 Nats win and it would have been much closer if the Hoyas didn’t commit four errors. Matt Purke started the game for the Nats. The former TCU Horned Frog was a top-rated college pitcher as he signed a four year, $4.15 million MLB contract in August 2011 and the furthest offensively the Hoyas would challenge was with a one out double in the 1st inning that got stranded at 3rd. The Hoyas collected four hits and the Nats only had five hits in what was really a pitcher’s duel. The crowd though was really there to see the debuts of Purke, 1st round pick Anthony Rendon and the 2010 1st overall pick Bryce Harper. Harper is only 19 years old and younger than many of the Hoya players. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Harper walked on four pitches and was stranded at 3rd base in a bases loaded situation. Harper tried to bunt for a hit in his 2nd at-bat and was thrown out by the Hoyas pitcher. In Harper’s final at-bat of the afternoon he flew out. Rendon in the 1st innings was struck out with bases loaded and one out. With everything considered, the Hoyas really held their own and as mentioned, without the errors, this game could have ended in a 0-0 tie.
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