The Virginia baseball team beat Longwood 6-0 at home Tuesday before losing to VCU 11-3 Wednesday on the road.
The Cavaliers (14-11, 3-6 ACC) have been struggling, with injuries to junior outfielders Jake McCarthy and Cameron Simmons and right-handed pitchers Evan Sperling and Chesdin Harrington — all expected to be key players entering the season.
McCarthy, a unanimous preseason All-American and on the Golden Spikes watchlist, injured his left wrist against Davidson and is expected to return in mid-to-late April. Simmons injured his left shoulder prior to the season and received surgery. He will not return until next year.
Virginia also fell out of the national Top 25 after being swept in a three-game series at Miami over the weekend.
In spite of this, the Cavaliers only gave up one hit in their victory against Longwood (6-16, 1-6 Big South) Tuesday at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park. Junior right-handed pitcher Grant Donahue made his first career start, going five innings and allowing only two baserunners. Prior to Tuesday, Donahue had never pitched more than three and a third innings in a single appearance.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Bobby Nicholson and graduate right-handed pitcher Mack Meyer finished the game. Nicholson pitched three innings, while Meyer pitched one, with neither surrendering a hit to Longwood.
Junior second baseman Andy Weber led the Cavalier offense, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Senior left fielder Charlie Cody also went 2 for 3, scoring one run.
On Wednesday, VCU (17-8, 3-0 Atlantic 10) scored the first seven runs of the game to defeat Virginia, extending their win streak to 13 games — the second-longest in the nation.
Virginia starter Griff McGarry, a freshman right-handed pitcher, walked three batters and hit another in the first inning, before giving up a two-out, two-RBI single by sophomore first baseman Steven Carpenter.
Weber went 2 for 4, hitting two doubles and scoring a run, while Cody had two RBIs on a single in the top of the fourth inning.
The Cavaliers next play in a three-game series at Pitt this weekend. Game 1 begins at 3 p.m. on Friday at Charles L. Cost Field in Pittsburgh.
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