In the first series of the season, the Virginia baseball team (7-0) showed the rest of the league how dangerous its deep offense can be, pummeling Rutgers (1-5) in a three-game sweep to continue its season-opening win streak.
Virginia took the first game against Rutgers, 7-3, Friday after a grand display of power hitting. Rutgers got on the board with a run in the first inning, but junior outfielder Adam Haseley quickly erased the deficit with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning.
Haseley would homer again in the sixth inning to break the game open, and finished the day a stellar 4-4 with five RBIs. The rest of the power hitting was shouldered by graduate catcher Robbie Coman, who also homered twice — two solo shots — and went 4-5.
The second game of the series was delayed due to a thunderstorm, but Virginia didn’t miss a beat, plating 12 runs on 15 hits in a 12-4 victory against the Scarlet Knights. The Cavaliers played small ball most of the day, scoring on singles and doubles to back a quality outing from sophomore pitcher Evan Sperling.
Six different Cavaliers knocked in runs, and Haseley and sophomore outfielder Cameron Simmons each had three hits. Haseley built a streak, reaching base 11 straight times in the series’ first two games.
Haseley took the mound in the third game of the series, and was largely able to pitch stress-free, as the Cavalier offense put on a clinic against Rutgers pitching. The end result was an 18-2 blowout by Virginia. Haseley allowed two runs in seven innings, striking out six and walking none.
The game started close, with Virginia taking only a 4-2 lead into the sixth inning before plating eight runs in the frame. Sophomore second baseman Ernie Clement, who homered for the first time this year and had four RBIs, and Coman, who belted his third homer of the weekend and knocked in four runs, did the heavy lifting on offense. Rutgers only mustered three hits against Haseley and none against the Cavaliers’ shut down bullpen in the final two innings.
Virginia will look to keep rolling when hosting William & Mary Tuesday in a grudge match — the Tribe knocked the Cavaliers out of the NCAA Tournament last season.
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