After dropping consecutive conference series losses to both Boston College and Florida State the past two weekends, No. 9 Virginia traveled to South Bend, Ind., this weekend in pursuit of a return to the win column.
The Cavaliers (26-11, 10-8 ACC) handed the ball to freshman right-hander John Paone after splitting the first two games of the series against the Fighting Irish (16-15, 7-11 ACC), though the story of the game was the Virginia offense.
Twenty runs. Eighteen hits. Six home runs.
The 20-5 Cavalier win was a complete team effort. Eight of nine starters notched a hit, the heart of the order obliterated Notre Dame’s pitching and the bullpen gave up no earned runs.
“Really proud of our guys, a complete performance,” Coach Chris Pollard said. “We’ve been hitting balls hard without a lot to show for it … and today it all [kind of] came together.”
And they didn't waste any time. Junior infielder Joe Tiroly got the scoring started with an RBI double in the first, and Virginia would go on to score in every inning on Sunday, with the first four hitters each homering and combining for 16 RBIs.
Still, pitching and defense cost Virginia early. Paone struggled to control the zone at times, walking two in the first with an error on a dropped third strike leading to two runs scored and Notre Dame taking an early 2-1 lead.
The Cavaliers and their newfound leadoff man responded immediately as junior outfielder AJ Gracia blasted a three-run home run to put Virginia right back in front.
Pollard recently flipped Gracia and junior infielder Eric Becker at the top of the order, with Gracia’s patient plate approach and ability to draw walks seemingly helping drive the change, and the dividends are paying off early.
The pair of Golden Spikes Award candidates have anchored this lineup, and Sunday was no different. The two combined for six hits, three home runs and 11 RBIs, delivering the exact type of production Virginia needed.
Paone settled in for the second inning, but a walk followed by a two-run home run in the third was enough for Pollard to get aggressive with his bullpen and go to senior righty Kevin Jaxel, who turned in 2.1 innings without allowing an earned run.
“Not an easy day to play, for either team, a tough day to pitch,” Pollard said. “I thought the way Jaxel settled the game down and gave our offense a chance to pull away was a great sign.”
Coaches noted postgame that the wind was noticeably blowing out of the ballpark all weekend, and particularly on Sunday. Infielders were missing pop flies and balls that looked like routine fly balls turned into home runs. Virginia made it a point to get the ball in the air and let the wind do the rest.
However, that was hardly the case for senior outfielder Harrison Didawick, who absolutely turned on a fastball in the fourth, sending it 424 feet in another monster blast to put the Cavaliers ahead 9-4.
Despite the comfortable lead, Pollard remained aggressive with his bullpen to close out Sunday’s win, turning to graduate right-handed relievers Lucas Hartman and Tyler Kapa to finish the job.
Hartman went 2.1 strong innings, striking out three hitters and allowing no hits or earned runs, bouncing back nicely from a rough stretch of appearances where he gave up runs in three straight outings and looking more like the dominant reliever he has been all season for Virginia.
Freshman outfielder Griffin Enis’s two-run home run and Becker’s three-run blast highlighted a six-run frame that put the game out of reach. Kapa followed with a scoreless bottom of the inning to secure the mercy-rule win in eight innings and clinch a much-needed series victory.
Sunday’s win is exactly what Virginia needed at the exact time they needed it. The Cavaliers saw stability and length from the bullpen, contributions from all parts of the lineup and their stars showing up in big ways.
The Cavaliers will look to build off Sunday’s win as they travel to Richmond Tuesday for a midweek matchup against VCU at 3 p.m.
Following Tuesday’s midweek, Virginia will return to Charlottesville for a date with Clemson, with the weekend series slated to start Thursday at 7 p.m. Clemson has lost four of five conference series despite obvious talent, setting up for a premier series at Disharoon Park.
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