Virginia toppled George Washington 7-2 in an afternoon matchup Tuesday at Barcroft Park, making it the team’s 12th-straight victory against the Colonials (9-8, 0-0 A10). Knotted 1-1 in the seventh inning, the Cavaliers (11-13, 4-11 ACC) scored four runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to secure the road victory.
Junior left-hander Billy Price started on the mound for the Cavaliers, allowing no hits and producing three strikeouts in the first two innings. Virginia broke the no-run stalemate in the third, jumping on the board first as freshman right-fielder Addie Burrow scored from third after sophomore center-fielder Chris Newell attempted to steal second base. George Washington responded, however, in the bottom of the fourth, tying it up off a sacrifice fly.
Graduate student Paul Kosanovich, senior Kyle Whitten, juniors Brandon Neeck and Zach Messinger, freshman Luke Schauer and senior Blake Bales followed Price’s performance on the hill, allowing a combined seven hits and zero runs. Strength in the bullpen backed the Cavaliers offensive spark that ignited in the eighth.
Senior first baseman Devin Ortiz broke open the game in the top of the eighth with a single to left to bring in two runs, junior third baseman Zack Gelof and graduate student catcher Logan Michaels. Burrow followed suit with his first collegiate hit — an opposite side single to left field that scored sophomore second baseman Max Cotier from third. Newell closed the eighth inning rally with his fourth hit on the day, extending Virginia’s lead to four runs.
Cotier knocked in a final pair of runs in the top of the ninth with a triple to the right-center gap. The sophomore was 2-for-4 for the afternoon, including a double and his first triple on the season.
Virginia improved its all-time record against the Colonials to 26-12 and its 2021 midweek game record to 5-1.
The Cavaliers will travel to Georgia Tech to begin its three-game series against the Yellow Jackets Thursday. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. and will broadcast on the ACC Network.