Familiar names from last year’s National Championship team reappeared at the top of No. 8 Virginia’s lineup Friday against Kent State. The bottom of the order, however, listed three freshmen hitters, left fielder Jake McCarthy — whose older brother Joe left early for the 2015 Major League Baseball draft — right fielder Cameron Simmons and third baseman Andy Weber.
The trio combined to strikeout four times, but collected two hits, two runs and an RBI. Simmons smacked a solo home run to lead off the eighth inning. Following his first career big fly, Cavalier veterans tacked on three more insurance runs and gave Virginia an 8-0 lead after eight.
Those extra runs proved pivotal as the Golden Flashes roughed up freshman reliever Chesdin Harrington and senior reliever David Rosenberger for six runs in the ninth. Closing the door, junior Alec Bettinger induced a grounder for the final out, and the Cavaliers won their season opener 8-6.
Junior pitcher Connor Jones earned his first victory of 2016. The preseason All-American struck out eight and allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings. Jones trotted off the mound with a four-run lead when his day concluded.
Virginia’s two, three and four hitters had done most of the damage up to that point and would continue to rake.
Sophomore second baseman Ernie Clement went 3-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Junior catcher Matt Thaiss recorded three hits, one run and a walk in four at bats. Sophomore first baseman Pavin Smith — the smooth-swinging lefty who draws comparisons to North Carolina’s former first-round pick Colin Moran — added two hits and two RBIs on the afternoon.
Saturday in the park, Cavalier arms made short work of Appalachian State batters. Lanky lefty freshman Daniel Lynch struck out nine Mountaineer batters over five shutout innings while junior reliever Holden Grounds and sophomore reliever Jack Roberts, sat down four and five, respectively.
Virginia also outhit Appalachian State 15 to five.
From the cleanup spot, Smith reached base in all five of his plate appearances. The Jupiter, Fla. native amassed four hits — including two doubles — two runs, one RBI and a walk. Clement, sophomore centerfielder Adam Haseley and junior shortstop Daniel Pinero each tallied two hits. Pinero drove in four Cavaliers, thanks to a bases clearing double in the fifth and a two-out RBI single in the sixth.
Freshman outfielder Doak Dozier — a 2014 Perfect Game All-American — and freshman infielder Nate Eikhoff collected their first career hits Saturday.
Unfortunately, facing No. 23 Coastal Carolina in the finale Sunday, the Cavaliers could not escape the Caravelle Resort Tournament undefeated.
Virginia put one across in the first after a Haseley walk, Clement sacrifice and Thaiss single. To begin the bottom of the inning, though, sophomore pitcher Tommy Doyle walked Coastal Carolina senior outfielder Anthony Marks. Junior designated hitter G.K. Young supported the adage that lead-off passes spell trouble, and belted Doyle’s first pitch over the wall in left for a two-run homer.
Doyle eventually settled in and threw six strong innings, allowing the two runs and a mere four hits while striking out six. The 6-foot-6 right-hander was even in line for the win once the Cavaliers reclaimed the lead in the fifth. Behind a Haseley two-run dinger and Chanticleer shortstop throwing error, Virginia held a 4-2 lead.
In the seventh inning, sophomore reliever Bennett Sousa walked the only two batters he faced, leaving senior reliever Kevin Doherty in a predicament. Doherty got two outs on a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, but then surrendered a two-out two-run single.
Walks plagued Virginia pitchers Sunday. Two more from Bettinger in the eighth allowed sophomore second basemen Billy Cooke to bring home the go-ahead run.
Trailing 4-5 in the top of the 9th inning, the Cavaliers were in business with men on first and third and with only one out. Soon after, Chanticleer junior pitcher Andrew Beckwith got Thaiss to ground into a 4-6-3 double play that ended the threat.
A grueling season leaves little time to dwell on the loss.
The Cavaliers (2-1) will open at Davenport Field against VMI Tuesday at 3 p.m.
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