Virginia entered Friday’s game looking to lock up a series win after a momentum-building victory over No. 20 Stanford in Thursday’s series opener. Thanks to timely hitting and an overall display of resilience, the Cavaliers (14-11, 5-6 ACC) did just that.
The 13-7 win was certainly needed — the last two weeks have been among the most challenging stretches of Coach Brian O’Connor’s tenure at Virginia. But, with a surplus of talent and desire to prove themselves, the Cavaliers appear to have taken a step toward turning the corner this weekend.
Virginia got a hit from every spot in the lineup for the second consecutive game in this series and totalled 14 hits across the game. Anchored by a six-run offensive onslaught in the home half of the seventh inning, the Cavaliers have showcased their offensive potential through the first two games of this series. And, suddenly, they have begun to thrive in the face of adversity — namely in the department of hitting with two outs. 12 of Virginia’s 13 runs came in that situation.
“That’s an attitude thing, it's [players] making the decision that they’re going to rise up and perform in the clutch when their team needs them the most,” O’Connor said. “These past two games we’ve really shown some growth as a ball club, [this is] what the Virginia baseball program is about.”
The Cardinal (16-8, 5-6 ACC) came on strong in the early innings and took control early, wasting no time jumping on freshman starter Tomas Valincius. Junior infielder Jimmy Nati blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence in the first to put the Cavaliers in an early hole. Stanford then added two more runs in the top of the third and chased Valincius out of the game after four innings in which he allowed nine hits and five earned runs.
Down 5-0, it would have been easy for Virginia to lay down and turn attention to a Saturday afternoon rubber match. However, determined to take command of this series and this season, the Cavaliers came storming back.
Stanford left-hander Christian Lim dazzled early before Virginia’s offensive effort really got going in the bottom of the fourth as junior Aidan Teel roped a two-RBI double down the left field line to cut the lead to one and chase Lim from the game. Then, the home squad took advantage of what proved to be a shaky Cardinal bullpen.
Virginia knotted the game at six in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a pair of RBI singles from graduate catcher Jacob Ference and freshman designated hitter Chone James. Although the game was only tied, the Cavaliers appeared to regain an energy or swagger that they have often lacked amidst their skid. Virginia boosted confidence, and their performance backed it up.
The turning point in the game came in the seventh, when junior utilityman Chris Arroyo jump-started an offensive rally with a no-doubt solo home run that cleared the stadium entirely. Later in the inning, sophomore infielder Eric Becker turned on a fastball and launched a three-run blast off of the Virginia Clubhouse to give the Cavaliers a commanding six-run lead.
“It shows the fight in this team, it hasn't been the start of the season that we wanted… it shows what this team is capable of and is a testament to our approach,” Becker said.
After the early surge, the Stanford offense cooled significantly, managing just two runs across the final six innings. Virginia’s bullpen was lights-out in relief of Valincius, keeping the momentum squarely in the Cavaliers’ dugout.
Graduate pitcher Wes Arrington played an instrumental role in bridging the gap between Valincius and the back-end of the Cavaliers bullpen, giving O’Connor a valuable 2.2 innings of work in which he surrendered only one earned run.
Ference added an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single, and the Cavaliers cruised the rest of the way to seal the win.
Virginia entered this series riding a five-game losing streak. Their response? A resounding one — a whopping 27 hits across two games and a clear message that this team remains a contender despite early-season struggles.
With a series win secured and signs of an offensive ignition, the Cavaliers have taken consecutive steps forward and proven that despite early struggles, this team still has the makings of a championship contender.
“These guys are tough minded and it's taken us a while to get there but hopefully we’ve shown some steps that can lead us to having a really great team,” O’Connor said.
Virginia will be back at Disharoon Park Saturday at 1 p.m. with the game available on ACCNX. The Cavaliers will give the ball to junior Evan Blanco who will take on sophomore Joey Volchko as Virginia aims for a statement series sweep.
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