After Virginia baseball’s opening regional game in which it narrowly defeated Pennsylvania by a score of 4-2, the Cavaliers (42-15, 18-12 ACC) were back in action Saturday in the winner’s bracket against Mississippi State. Virginia was very efficient with its pitching Friday, giving them ample bullpen arms for its matchup with the Bulldogs (39-22, 17-13 SEC). Despite playing from behind for several innings Saturday, timely hitting late in the game propelled the Cavaliers to a 5-4 win.
Both teams had their ace pitchers on the mound for this very important regional match, with the Bulldogs opting to throw sophomore pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and Virginia using sophomore pitcher Evan Blanco.
The game started quietly, as both teams failed to generate any real offense in the first inning. However, the Cavaliers would strike first in the second inning. Graduate catcher Jacob Ference hit a one-out single which was followed by a single from sophomore infielder Henry Godbout. Then, freshman infielder Eric Becker hit a triple off the top of the wall in right-center field to score two runs and put Virginia up 2-0.
Unfortunately, this lead would be short-lived. Mississippi State got two runners on base quickly via singles from sophomore infielder David Merson and sophomore outfielder Dakota Jordan. Then, junior utility man Hunter Hines hit a three-run home run to center field to clear the bases and put the Bulldogs up 3-2. They would then add to their lead in the fourth inning when a Cavalier throwing error on a stolen base attempt brought a fourth run in.
The game fell back into a lull after the fourth inning as Blanco and Cijntje settled in on the mound. Both would have very solid starts, with Blanco going six innings and striking out seven batters and Cijntje going seven innings and striking out five.
Freshman pitcher Matt Augustin took the mound for Virginia after Blanco came out in the seventh inning. Augustin had only thrown 24 innings in his college career before this game but still was composed in the important moments for the Cavaliers Saturday.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Virginia offense got going again. Ference started the team off with a single through a gap in the infield, and sophomore outfielder Harrison Didawick kept the bats going with an infield single that was misplayed by the Bulldog defense. With two men on base, Godbout was able to lay down an excellent sacrifice bunt to shift the runners to second and third base. Then, in a déja vu moment, Becker yet again came up clutch with a single up the middle that scored two runs and tied up the game. The Cavaliers failed to add any more runs that inning, but they still made the game up for grabs.
The eighth inning was characterized by smooth sailing from the bullpens. Both Augustin and Mississippi State junior pitcher Tyson Hardin were able to take control and handle the pressure of the tied game, keeping it 4-4 going into the ninth inning.
In the top of the ninth inning, Augustin continued his groove by striking out the first two batters he faced. However, the Bulldogs would then put the pressure on by working a walk and hitting a single that advanced the runner to third. With two runners on base and two outs, Coach Brian O’Connor made a pitching change and brought in graduate pitcher Angelo Tonas to take the mound. The switch proved to be a smart one, as Tonas retired the first batter he faced, leaving Mississippi State scoreless in the ninth.
In the second half of the final frame, Didawick immediately put the pressure on Hardin by hitting a ground-rule double to left-center field. Hardin would not help himself and his team by walking Godbout and putting two men on base for Becker, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over. With the game on the line, graduate outfielder Bobby Whalen sliced a hard bouncing ball to senior infielder Amani Larry. It could have been an inning-ending double play, but Larry misplayed it and the ball bounced away from him. Whalen reached first, Didawick scored and the Cavaliers won the game 5-4.
Neither team had a lead larger than two runs Saturday, which made for a thrilling nine-inning affair. O’Connor commented on the special night, emphasizing the resilience his team showed to come from behind and win.
“What a college baseball game,” O’Connor said. “What an environment. This is why these players come to these schools … to have this opportunity where you have a chance to go 2-0. Great crowd, everything at stake, and I’m just really really proud of the grit and the fight that our team showed.”
With its win against Mississippi State, Virginia will now await the result of a game Sunday at 11 a.m. between the Bulldogs and St. John’s. Whoever wins that game will have to beat the Cavaliers twice in a row to win the regional title, which should be a hard task given the strength of the Virginia lineup. The Cavaliers will also have greater pitching depth, as they will not have to play an extra game like their opponent will. While Saturday was a huge victory for Virginia, they will have to continue to come up clutch in big moments and be resilient to win the region and advance to the Super Regional.
The Cavaliers will play again Sunday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Mississippi State and St. John’s. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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