The Virginia baseball team (7-5, 0-0 ACC) won two midweek home games at Disharoon Park against Wagner (1-10, 0-0 NEC) by a combined score of 32-9.
Game 1: Virginia 14, Wagner 0
Virginia jumped out to an early lead in the first inning of Monday’s game, going ahead 2-0. Sophomore shortstop Tanner Morris had an RBI double in his first appearance at the plate. The Cavaliers added two more runs in the third, including a single by senior first baseman Nate Eikhoff to drive in senior center fielder Cameron Simmons.
In the fourth inning, Virginia expanded their lead even further, scoring five runs. Morris hit his first home run of the day, a solo shot to right field to lead off the frame, and junior catcher Logan Michaels and sophomore right fielder Alex Tappen each had RBI singles.
Michaels singled in another run in the fifth. He ended the game with two hits, two runs batted in and a run scored.
Morris hit his second home run of the day in the sixth, a three-run shot to center that gave the Cavaliers a 13-0 lead. Morris was 3-for-4 with a walk, driving in six runs and scoring three for Virginia. Freshman infielder Nic Kent also had three hits.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Mike Vasil earned the win on the mound, his first of the season. He gave up only four hits in six innings pitched, striking out four Wagner hitters.
Game 2: Virginia 18, Wagner 9
The Cavalier offense posted its second straight highest-scoring game of the season Wednesday afternoon, putting up 18 runs against the Seahawks.
Wagner opened this game on top, scoring two unearned runs in the top of the first against freshman right-handed pitcher Zach Messinger. Messinger gave up two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning before turning the game over to the Virginia bullpen.
However, Virginia scored six runs in the bottom of the first to retake the lead. Tappen and freshman third baseman Zack Gelof each had RBI singles with the bases loaded in the frame. The Cavaliers added five more runs in the second, including an RBI double by Kent.
Simmons hit a three-run home run in the third inning, his second homer of the season. Simmons and Gelof each had four RBIs, while Kent had his second-straight, multi-hit game. Virginia led 14-4 at the end of the third but would not score again until the bottom of the eighth.
Wagner scored five runs off Virginia senior right-handed pitcher Grant Donahue in the seventh and eighth innings, but sophomore right-handed pitcher Devin Ortiz came in to earn the final four outs without giving up a hit.
The win was credited to sophomore right-handed pitcher Blake Bales, his first at the collegiate level. Bales went three innings of scoreless relief, giving up only three hits.
Virginia will begin ACC play with a three-game series this weekend against Duke. The first game will begin Friday at 4 p.m. at Disharoon Park.
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