Ahead of their only time playing two midweek games at different sites this season, Virginia baseball may have preferred a calm win. The players certainly did not seem stressed, as several could be seen playing a game of hacky-sack outside the dugout before the game began.
Ultimately, calm was not what the Cavaliers (17-4, 4-2 ACC) got in their Tuesday afternoon matchup against Georgetown, as the Hoyas (13-9, 0-0 Big East) played up to the level of their opponent. Despite Georgetown recording more hits on the day, Virginia left fewer men on base, allowing the Cavaliers to escape with a 6-4 victory.
As the sun shined bright on Davenport Field at Disharoon Park, the game began with temperatures in the low 40s at 3 p.m. The start time was shifted up an hour due to concerns of freezing weather. Virginia wore their typical white home uniforms, save for a hat with a special St. Patrick’s Day green back and bill.
The Hoyas notched a quiet first inning, only recording a leadoff single followed by three quick outs. At this point, the flagpoles beyond the outfield wall could be seen blowing at full mast away from the stadium. Though this wind added to the already-cool atmosphere at the Dish, a single from junior outfielder AJ Gracia and a subsequent 397-foot home run from junior first baseman Sam Harris warmed the sparse crowd up. A strikeout from senior outfielder Harrison Didawick ultimately ended the inning with a 2-0 Virginia lead.
Refusing to be quiet for long, Georgetown junior designated hitter Ashtin Gilio smacked a home run to right-center on the first pitch, halving the Cavalier lead. The Hoyas threatened further with a walk, though they would not be able to follow through, preserving the Virginia lead at 2-1.
“When you’re standing on the mound and you’ve got a 15, 20 mile per hour wind right in your face … it’s hard conditions to pitch,” Coach Chris Pollard said. “They got a ball up in the air and took advantage of it … that typically doesn’t leave The Dish. That’s usually a [flyout to the left fielder] but today it was a home run.”
The second inning would see three Cavaliers come to the plate and three Cavaliers sat down. The third and fourth innings were similarly quiet, following a similar pattern — Georgetown would get one man on base per inning by an error or walk, but otherwise showed no offensive firepower. Meanwhile, Virginia was completely stifled, with no Cavalier reaching base by any means in either inning, thanks to five innings of solid work from the Hoya starting pitcher, junior JT Raab.
The fifth inning had a little more fanfare, with both teams recording a hit. In the top with two outs, the Hoyas reached base on a walk and a single, but a strikeout from freshman reliever Christian Lucarelli following a mound visit stifled any threat.
Junior infielder Noah Murray led off the bottom of the fifth inning for Virginia with a single, but sophomore outfielder Zach Jackson grounded into a double play, meaning Georgetown faced only the minimum three batters for the inning. The Murray single broke the streak of 10 consecutive Virginia outs, perhaps showing that the chilly temperatures led to the bats going cold as well.
Two consecutive Hoya hits followed by a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly meant that Georgetown was able to add a run in the top of the sixth inning. A mid-inning pitcher change for Virginia proved to be just what the team needed in the moment, though, and senior Kevin Jaxel concluded the inning with a strikeout and a tie ballgame, 2-2.
The pressure was on for the Cavaliers, but they remained cold, with three consecutive outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Georgetown smelled blood in the water as the seventh inning opened, with a single followed by a home run completely changing the momentum of the game. The Hoyas led 4-2 as fans stood up for the seventh-inning stretch.
With the Cavaliers facing a deficit for the first time in the game, they had their work cut out for them. Junior infielder Joe Tiroly provided a semblance of a spark for Virginia, battling from 0-2 in the count to draw a walk. Harris added fuel with a double to the right-field corner, placing two runners in scoring position. A Didawick two-run single tied the game with no outs, 4-4.
“[Raab] was throwing really well today,” Harris said. “As soon as we got someone else in the game, we capitalized on that moment, we started hitting around and putting the balls in play.”
Not done yet, the Cavaliers loaded the bases via a sacrifice bunt and two walks, forcing a Georgetown pitching change in the process. Junior shortstop Eric Becker would hit a single, and an untimely Hoya error allowed Virginia to plate two more runners, pushing back into a 6-4 lead.
“When we fall behind, we are really good at having a quick answer, and we did that again today,” Pollard said. “That’s what good teams do.”
Although the Cavaliers threatened to add to the lead in the eighth inning with players on second and third base, neither team scored another run for the remainder of the game.
Ultimately, Virginia nabbed its seventh come-from-behind win, using seven pitchers in the process. Well-timed hits allowed the Cavaliers to take the victory despite Georgetown getting men on base with more regularity than Virginia.
“You’ll see us use a bunch of different arms tomorrow, and [we] had a lot of guys step up today,” Pollard said.
The next matchup for the Cavaliers comes Wednesday, when the team heads roughly 70 miles southwest for an in-state game against Liberty. The Flames (13-6, 1-2 CUSA) will be headed back home after their own Tuesday contest against Wake Forest. First pitch against Liberty is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Following the Wednesday contest, Virginia will face the Demon Deacons (16-5, 3-3 ACC) at the Dish this weekend, with the first game slated to begin at 6 p.m. Friday.
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