The No. 22 Virginia baseball team took down No. 1 Miami in a three-game series this past weekend, winning the first and third games. After a close 6-5 win Friday, the team suffered a 9-2 defeat Saturday before bouncing back Sunday to win, 7-3. The series win followed an 11-5 Cavalier loss against Virginia Commonwealth.
The first game’s highlight was the Cavaliers’ (26-17, 11-10 ACC) huge first inning, batting in five runs and shutting out the Hurricanes (30-8, 14-5 ACC). Virginia failed to bat someone in again until the ninth inning. Miami scored two runs in the fourth and sixth innings and found its final run of the night in the ninth. Six different Cavaliers scored, with freshman designated hitter Nate Eikhoff batting in three.
The second game was scoreless through five innings until the Hurricanes scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. After a five-run eighth inning Virginia found itself down 9-0. The Cavaliers only managed to score two, ending the game in defeat. Miami junior outfielder Jacob Heyward had three RBIs while junior infielder Johnny Ruiz added two.
In the final game Virginia scored two runs in the fourth, sixth and ninth innings after scoring one in the second. Miami scored two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth. Junior catcher Matt Thaiss and junior infielder Daniel Pinero both batted in two runs. Pinero also scored two runs himself.
The Cavaliers next play Tuesday against Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va.