Fresh off of a crushing 17-0 loss in which the No. 9 Virginia offense seemingly vanished, the Cavaliers (22-7, 7-5 ACC) stepped back on the field in Chestnut Hill, Mass., to face Boston College yet again. The Eagles (20-9, 8-4 ACC) were soaring high after earning their third series victory of ACC play and winning their ninth consecutive game.
Ultimately, Virginia would win 3-1. Three hits and seven walks for Virginia would prove enough to push past Boston College as the series concluded in front of the second-largest crowd ever at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond on a cool spring afternoon.
The game began strongly for the pitchers. All outs in the first inning went into the books as strikeouts, with only a walk from junior infielder Joe Tiroly breaking the pattern. Virginia’s offense stayed stagnant in the second, recording several strikeouts in the process.
The offense that Virginia lacked over the course of the series was present for Boston College, as they loaded the bases with two walks and a bunt before a sacrifice fly drove in a run. That was the only run the Eagles could plate in that inning, as a baserunner was caught stealing to end the inning.
A double from graduate catcher Noah Jouras provided an opportunity for a Cavalier response in the top of the third. Although Jouras advanced to third, he was left stranded. Boston College would also advance a runner to third base, but he would be left 90 feet from home after the Massachusetts native, Virginia starting pitcher freshman John Paone, induced a strikeout to retire the side.
The fourth inning yielded nothing but outs for both teams. The Cavaliers recorded no hits in the top of the fifth, only seeing four pitches after taking an aggressive approach at the plate. After a walk drove Paone out of the game, graduate student Lucas Hartman stepped in, keeping the margin between the teams at just one run.
A double from junior outfielder AJ Gracia provided some hope that Virginia would get something going, but Eagles sophomore starter Brady Miller stifled the Cavaliers otherwise. Hartman’s heroics for Virginia meant that this game was kept close, as both pitchers allowed no batter to reach base in the seventh inning, keeping the score at 1-0.
The seventh inning would be the final inning for Miller, ending his day at 94 pitches and a season-high strikeout count of nine, only allowing two hits. His relievers were not as successful.
Despite swinging little, the Cavaliers would find success in the eighth inning. Three straight walks to open the frame loaded the bases. A pitching change did not stop the Virginia advance, as junior infielder Eric Becker drew the fourth walk of the inning to knot the game at 1-1.
Gracia smacked the ball on his next at-bat. Although it landed cleanly in the outfielder’s glove, all runners advanced a base, giving the lead to Virginia. An intentional walk to Tiroly loaded the bases yet again, with the Cavaliers threatening to add to their burgeoning lead.
Senior outfielder Harrison Didawick hit a high ball into right field on the following at-bat. Although three Eagles were positioned to make the catch, the ball, carried by the wind, came down in the no-man's-land in between them, allowing a third run to score on the only hit of the eighth inning.
The final score would stay there through the ninth and final inning, as the Cavaliers would escape 3-1 and avoid the sweep against unranked Boston College. Many questions about the supposed offensive firepower of the team have arisen as a result of the series.
“We had to win this one in a fashion that hasn’t been typical for us,” Coach Chris Pollard said. “We had to grind out a pitcher’s duel.”
Before the eighth-inning walk-fest, Virginia batters had recorded five hits and zero runs in the previous 14 innings. The fact that the team managed a win with a team batting average on the day of .111 is nothing short of remarkable, but not a success the Cavaliers are eager to repeat.
The pitchers for both teams defined this game. Paone allowed only the single second-inning run, and recorded six strikeouts in a solid start. The roughly two innings apiece for Hartman and graduate pitcher Tyler Kapa kept the game close, and ultimately set the stage for a comeback that salvaged the series.
“[I] credit John Paone for being really tough for us, giving us a great start,” Pollard said. “Our bullpen was electric behind him.”
Virginia will next take the field Tuesday, when the Cavaliers return to Davenport Field at Disharoon Park to play an in-state matchup against Old Dominion at 6 p.m. The Monarchs (13-14, 3-6 Sun Belt) are fresh off of a series against South Alabama where they were outscored 22-6. Following that, Virginia will welcome Florida State to town for an ACC matchup between two currently ranked teams. The first match with the Seminoles (21-5, 7-1 ACC) begins Thursday at 5 p.m.
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