When freshman centerfielder Jarrett Parker cracked the first pitch of his at-bat in the bottom of the 11th to deep left-center and sophomore pinch-runner Corey Hunt tagged up on third before darting home to score the game-winning run, the Virginia dugout emptied and piled on top of Parker. The Cavalier celebration on the field lasted for several minutes and the crowd gave the team a standing ovation.
The fact that it was a Sunday afternoon 3-2 win over Wake Forest (15-24, 7-13 ACC), a team with one of the worst records in the ACC, didn't prevent the Cavaliers (31-11, 13-8 ACC) from celebrating their momentous victory and acting as if they'd won the Pennant.
"This is the biggest win of the year for us," senior pitcher Michael Schwimer said.
Schwimer, a freshman reliever, pitched 3.1 innings to finish the game, which was a season high. During his time on the mound, he allowed only one hit.
With Sunday's win, the Cavaliers secured the three-game weekend home series against the Demon Deacons. Virginia won Friday's game 4-2 and fell in a 3-14 blowout Saturday before Sunday's dramatic victory.
Setting up the game-winning run in the 11th was sophomore catcher Franco Valdes, who hit a double to start the 11th inning for the Cavaliers. Hunt then came in to run the bases for him.
Valdes seconded Schwimer's notion that Sunday's win was one of the biggest of the season for the Cavaliers.
"I definitely agree," Valdes said. "Especially bouncing back from that loss yesterday and heading into the three tough series we have left this season, I do consider that one of the biggest wins."
Valdes was one of many underclassmen to play a key role for the Cavaliers during the weekend. Parker, besides batting in the game-winner, had an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh Sunday. Freshman right fielder David Coleman batted in another Virginia run Sunday with a double in the fourth inning. Freshman DH John Barr hit two RBI Friday.
Virginia coach Brian O'Connor had good things to say about his young squad, particularly their ability to rebound from Saturday's big loss.
"I'm just so proud of our team," O'Connor said. "We came back and picked ourselves up after a very difficult loss [Saturday] night."
The Demon Deacons' victory Saturday showcased many of Virginia's inconsistencies. Starting pitcher Jacob Thompson struggled on the mound and fielding was porous. Wake Forest junior star-slugger Allan Dykstra tore through Virginia's defense, batting in four runs, while junior Tyler Smith batted two balls out of the park. Meanwhile, the Cavalier offense struggled, mustering only seven hits to the Demon Deacons' 13 while striking out six times.
Up next for the Cavaliers are weekday home games against Georgetown and William & Mary. The Cavaliers' game against the Hoyas and the Tribe are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Then, the Cavaliers will head to sunny Florida for a weekend series against Miami, which has hovered near the top of national polls all season?.
A month remains before the Cavaliers head to the postseason. The ACC Tournament is scheduled in Jacksonville, Fla. May 21-25, and the NCAA Tournament's regional rounds begin May 30.
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