After a dynamic 6-1 victory in the series opener, Virginia looked to continue to build on its four-game winning streak in a crucial matchup against Miami Saturday afternoon. Despite falling behind early to the Hurricanes (30-20, 14-11 ACC), the Cavaliers (29-16, 13-10 ACC) relied on clutch offensive performances and an excellent bullpen effort to battle back to a 10-9 victory.
This game was representative of what has been a rollercoaster of a season for Virginia. In the end however, it was the premier offensive players who came through when it mattered for the Cavaliers.
“This is the Virginia baseball we’ve been hunting for,” Coach Brian O’Connor said. “A collective effort from our guys — they’re determined and playing with a lot of spirit that’s fun to be around.”
Junior outfielders Aidan Teel and Harrison Didawick, sophomore infielder Eric Becker and sophomore outfielder Henry Ford all collected multi-hit games and combined for nine of Virginia’s 13 hits on Saturday.
However, chronic pitching struggles returned. Junior southpaw Bradley Hodges — who has been outstanding in his first season as a starter — floundered Saturday and exited in the fourth inning after allowing eight runs on five hits. He had trouble finding the zone consistently, throwing just 49 percent of his pitches for strikes and issuing four walks as he struggled to establish himself.
Facing an early 1-0 deficit, Virginia broke through and took temporary control of the game in the bottom of the second — with Teel roping a bases clearing double down the left field line to put Virginia ahead 3-1.
The Hurricanes immediately responded in the third, as junior infielder Renzo Gonzalez launched a game-breaking grand slam to highlight a six-run inning. They added another run in the top of the fourth to take a commanding four-run lead over the Cavaliers. With shadows beginning to fall onto Disharoon Park, it appeared this game was heading towards a blowout.
But instead of a frustrating loss, Virginia began to mount its comeback efforts in the fifth as Ford led off with a double and came around to score off an RBI groundout from junior infielder Henry Godbout.
The Cavaliers would then add three more runs across the next two frames with Eric Becker collecting two RBI with a single and a bases loaded walk. For good measure, Godbout added a solo home run to erase Miami’s lead and give Virginia new life.
A solo home run put the Hurricanes back ahead 9-8 in the eighth, though, and it looked as though Miami would prevail despite the Cavaliers comeback efforts.
But Didawick had other plans. He launched a season-defining solo home run that brought this game to a tie once again. Freshman outfielder James Nunnallee walked as the next hitter and stole second before Teel came through again for Virginia — this time with an RBI single to right field that brought home the runner, the win and the series for the Cavaliers.
It was a heroic effort, as Teel was three for three with a handful of walks. He got on base in every plate appearance. Combined with a strong showing from the bullpen, Saturday’s win was a high-quality one.
Junior left-hander Evan Blanco was terrific. With Blanco struggling to establish himself as a front-end starter and the Cavaliers embracing a must-win mentality down the stretch, O’Connor has gotten aggressive with his usage of Blanco and it paid dividends on Saturday as he threw 3.1 innings while only giving up three hits, walking none and giving up no earned runs.
“He was the story of the game for me, he held the game for three innings and gave us a chance to claw back,” O’Connor said.
In addition, graduate left-hander Matt Lanzendorfer was equally effective in closing the game. Tasked with retiring the final five batters, he kept the Hurricanes scoreless and helped preserve the Cavaliers’ lead.
Although it was only one game, the magnitude of this win for this Virginia baseball season cannot be understated. It showcased a level of fight and resilience that has defined Virginia’s recent surge, now winning nine out of ten games and giving themselves a real chance to compete down the stretch and into the postseason.
“We’ve got to put ourselves in a position to win every game in front of us,” O’Connor said. “Winning the series is great, but if you have the opportunity to sweep the series, you need to do that.”
The series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Disharoon Park and will be streamed on ACCNX. Freshman left-hander Tomas Valincius will start for Virginia and will take on Miami’s freshman righty Tate DeRias as the Cavaliers look to complete the sweep and take this momentum into the rapidly approaching ACC Tournament beginning May 20.
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