Following a 7-0 blowout of Richmond just days before, the Cavaliers lost all three games against the No. 25 Fighting Irish. Virginia (7-8, 2-7 ACC) struggled offensively and defensively in all three games — losing to Notre Dame (7-2, 7-2 ACC) by five, eight and five runs, respectively.
Game 1 — Virginia 5, Notre Dame 10
Scoring opened up in the top of the third inning when the Fighting Irish scored two runs. However, their 2-0 lead was short-lived as Virginia came back and scored four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Two of these were courtesy of junior infielder Nic Kent’s third double of the season which scored sophomore outfielder Chris Newell and senior first-baseman Alex Tappen who were both already on bases. The next batter was junior infielder Zack Gelof who would bat in an RBI single and bring the Cavaliers up 3-2. To cap it off, Zack Gelof ran in off a single up the middle from senior outfielder Brendan Rivoli.
As the next inning began, Notre Dame came back firing on all cylinders and plated three runs, reclaiming the lead 5-4. The Fighting Irish led for the rest of the competition and scored eight of the game’s last nine runs.
Though the game slipped away from the Cavaliers, the pitching squad had yet another superb statistical showing. Five pitchers headed to the mound in the game and combined for 13 strikeouts — the 10th time all season where the pitching staff had 10 or more strikeouts in one game.
This was also an exciting game for freshman infielder Jake Gelof, as he recorded his first collegiate hit in the eighth inning. Kent also had a great day, as he continued to lead his team in batting and recorded one of the five hits from Virginia players on the day.
Game 2 — Virginia 4, Notre Dame 12
The Fighting Irish got on the board in the third inning with two quick runs and followed it with another in the fourth. Virginia tied it up and erased the 3-0 deficit with a three-run rally — a comeback that would only last momentarily.
The Cavaliers’ three runs were the result of an RBI double from Tappen that scored Rivoli, a sacrifice fly by Jake Gelof and an RBI single from Newell.
After batting in his first hit for the team the day before, Jake Gelof started this game — surely the first of many starts he will have in his college career. He started all nine innings on second base and recorded one hit on the day.
Notre Dame came to the plate in the fifth and scored an impressive five runs before adding two more in the seventh and two more in the ninth. The Fighting Irish pitching squad matched the offensive momentum when it was their turn to do so — limiting Virginia to just one hit on its final five trips to the plate.
The final Cavalier run was a solo homer from freshman catcher Kyle Teel. This was Teel’s first home run of his collegiate career.
Game 3 — Virginia 3, Notre Dame 8
Similar to the two other games in the series, Notre Dame was the first to score. The Fighting Irish batted in three runs and kept the lead for the rest of the game.
The Cavaliers attempted to tie it up in the third inning but came up one short. Teel got another solo home run and Zack Gelof ran in off an RBI single from senior outfielder Christian Hlinka.
Notre Dame added two more in the fifth and Virginia added one thanks to a double by Jake Gelof. This would be the last time the Cavaliers would score.
The Fighting Irish continued to add insurance runs throughout the remainder of the game — one in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. They finished up 8-3.
“They just beat us in every, every facet of the game,” Coach Brian O’Connor said. “You tip your cap to them. To go on the road and sweep an ACC weekend is tough to do. We just weren’t that competitive, candidly.”
This series brought the Cavaliers’ home record down to 5-4 this season — a trend they hope to reverse in the coming weeks.
Virginia will return to Disharoon Park Wednesday for the next installment of its homestand — a one-off matchup against Towson. First pitch will be at 4 p.m. and you can watch the game on ACCNX.
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