Virginia baseball took on the difficult task of two ACC games in one day Saturday. Friday’s opener was pushed back a day due to inclement weather — therefore generating the unusual affair with Pittsburgh — but problems for the Cavaliers (19-14, 8-9 ACC) were all too familiar. In a 7-5 win and an 8-7 loss, there were red flags aplenty.
It was a tale of two Virginia squads — one with a flair for the dramatic and another that falls short in crunch time. Both often require late-game heroics to overcome a slow start offensively, or also have to deal with frequent implosions on the pitching mound. The Panthers (18-15, 5-9) put those flaws on display. The Cavaliers were able to stun Pittsburgh in the first game with a walk-off home run but could not do the same in the second game.
After four and a half innings in the opening bout, Virginia trailed the Panthers 2-0. Then, the slew of hits finally arrived in the form of a five-run stampede in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Cavaliers had seized momentum, and should have been able to coast to a comfortable victory, but that was not the case.
In the top of the seventh inning, senior pitcher Jay Woolfolk was pulled after he gave up a leadoff single and recorded an out. In his start, he allowed three runs over 6.1 innings — highlighted by not allowing a hit in his first three innings. Overall, it was a productive outing for Woolfolk.
After the starter’s departure, in came graduate pitcher Wes Arrington, who gave up two more singles. Aided by a throwing error, Pittsburgh cut Virginia’s lead to 5-4.
Arrington was able to force a groundout, but with two outs and a runner on third, Coach Brian O’Connor made a change. Out went Arrington, and in came graduate pitcher Matt Lanzendorfer. He finished the seventh inning with a strikeout, then quickly retired the Panthers in the eighth inning through a flyout and double play.
In the ninth inning, Lanzendorfer quickly retired Pittsburgh’s first two hitters. Virginia was then just one out away from a 5-4 win. Instead, chaos took over, and the Cavaliers fortunately found themselves on the winning side of a frenzied final inning.
A single, a passed ball by graduate catcher Jacob Ference and another single resulted in the Panthers tying the game. Lanzendorfer was able to limit the damage though, and Virginia had the chance to earn a walk-off victory.
It was not easy, however. Junior infielder Luke Hanson and junior outfielder Aidan Teel struck out, pushing the Cavaliers to the brink of playing extra innings on the day of a doubleheader.
But then, sophomore infielder Eric Becker got on base with a single — setting the table for sophomore utilityman Henry Ford. And he delivered. Ford cranked a game-winning home run to take the first game of the series.
“Our guys showed what they’re made of in the bottom of the ninth there to walk it off,” O’Connor said.
The dramatic blast bailed Virginia out, winning a game that was once breezy and had suddenly turned tense. Ford’s home run was, of course, spectacular, but it should have never been necessary.
Virginia’s nine-man lineup recorded just two hits starting from the seventh inning until Becker got on base. When insurance runs were needed, a majority of the Cavalier bats fell silent.
Throughout the game, only Ford, Ference and junior infielder Henry Godbout recorded multiple hits. Meanwhile, Teel went 0-5 for the first time in his career. That cannot happen against a team ranked 11th in the ACC.
The Panthers have scored five or more runs in an ACC game just seven times this season. Two of those — which account for approximately 36 percent of total instances — came against the Cavaliers Saturday.
After the thrilling finish to the series opener, Virginia’s second contest represented a worsened case of its chronic issues.
Junior left-hander Evan Blanco was disastrous — allowing six earned runs in 3.2 innings of work. His earned run average now sits at an abominable 8.06, proving that he still has a ways to go in his return to being a reliable starter after he suffered an injury right before the season.
Blanco’s early work was quite strong though, as he recorded all three outs in the first inning via the strikeout. He gave up a double, but otherwise kept his stat sheet clean until the second inning, when his outing fell off of the rails.
The southpaw allowed a walk, two-run home run, and two singles before finally recovering with a foul out and double play.
Trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the third, freshman designated hitter Chone James was able to generate some offense. He singled, then stole second base and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Hanson drove James in, and Virginia cut the deficit to 2-1.
That deficit was suddenly enlarged in the top of the fourth inning. Blanco surrendered a pair of doubles and walks before sophomore pitcher Drew Koenen was thrust into action. By the end of the frame, the Cavaliers trailed 6-1. Yet again, Virginia was forced to battle out of a sizable hole.
Teel made a significant dent with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, and Ford added on with a sacrifice fly to score Becker, who had cranked a double and advanced to third base on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cavaliers were down 8-5. An improbable comeback got started with a double from Godbout, but junior catcher Trey Wells and freshman outfielder James Nunnallee were unable to add on.
Virginia was hanging on by a thread, and an unlikely hero flipped the script. Junior outfielder Harrison Didawick clobbered a two-run home run, and snipped the deficit down to 8-7. Didawick has faced his share of struggles this year, but Saturday, came up clutch.
The fate of the game was then placed on the bat of Hanson, who hit a ball deep into left field that fell into a Panther glove — just short of a game-tying home run. While certainly disappointing, Hanson should not have been required to keep the game alive.
Junior utilityman Chris Arroyo and junior catcher Trey Wells both went 0-4 — failing to get on base at all. Others failed to impress as well. No Cavalier earned multiple hits except for Becker, who went 4-4 with a trio of doubles.
It was a sour defeat, one that concluded a long and tiresome day for O’Connor’s squad. After some sorely-needed rest, Virginia will have an opportunity to rebound and win the series Sunday — as freshman pitcher Tomas Valincius takes the mound at 1 p.m.
Read More
Live tracker: the 2025 spring football transfer window
By Xander Tilock | 5 hours agoVirginia football can add more talent April 16-25.
No. 25 Virginia cruises past Radford behind dominant pitching
By Emory Huffman | 6 hours agoTuesday’s affair was a textbook win for No. 25 Virginia.
Virginia baseball swept by Liberty for the first time since 2000
By Xander Tilock | 17 hours agoPoor pitching, unreliable fielding and a quiet offense doomed Virginia.
