No. 12 Virginia Downs Virginia Tech in 10 Innings, 3-2

April 14, 2017

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BLACKSBURG, Va. — Adam Haseley (Jr., Windermere, Fla.) ripped a solo home run in the 10th inning to lift the No. 12 Virginia baseball team to a 3-2 road win over Virginia Tech Friday evening at English Field at Union Park in Blacksburg. The game was part of the Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529.

UVA (29-8, 10-7 ACC) clinched the series win and goes for the sweep at 10 a.m. Saturday in a game that has been moved up three hours because of the potential for inclement weather. Virginia Tech drops to 18-19 and 6-11 in ACC play.

Cameron Simmons (So., Royersford, Pa.) led UVA with his second straight three-hit game. Haseley homered as part of a 2-for-4, two-RBI game, while Caleb Knight (Jr., Checotah, Okla.) and Robbie Coman (Gr., Lake Worth, Fla.) each added a pair of hits. UVA finished with 10 hits.

Virginia reliever Bennett Sousa (Jr., North Palm Beach, Fla.) worked 1 1/3 innings to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year. Tommy Doyle (Jr., Vienna, Va.) stranded two runners in the 10th to earn his 11th save of the year.

UVA got a tremendous start from freshman Noah Murdock (Colonial Heights, Va.). In his fourth start, he worked a career-high seven innings of shutout baseball, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out three. Virginia Tech starter Kit Scheetz also was tremendous, allowing just two runs (one earned) and six hits over seven-plus innings. Scheetz struck out four.

Virginia Tech reliever Aaron McGarity (1-3) took the loss after allowing the 10th-inning home run from Haseley.

Virginia grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning, getting doubles from Coman and Simmons, but the pitchers took control from there as UVA had just four hits over the next five innings, while the Hokies picked up only three.

The Cavaliers added to their lead in the eighth inning, benefiting from two VT errors. Ernie Clement (Jr., Rochester, N.Y.) reached on a two-base error to open the inning and moved to third when Scheetz threw errantly to first on an Andy Weber (So., Aurora, Ohio) sac bunt attempt. Reliever Packy Naughton came on to face Haseley, who hit a sac fly to left field.

Virginia Tech tied the game with a pair of runs in its half of the eighth inning against the Virginia bullpen. Facing Chesdin Harrington (So., Montpelier, Va.) with one out, Rahiem Cooper singled to center and scored when Jack Owens blooped a ball to left that bounced over the head of left fielder Charlie Cody (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.) for a double, scoring Cooper. With two outs and a 2-2 count against Sousa, Tom Stoffel lined a single to center to tie the game.

UVA took the lead in the top of the 10th when Haseley launched a one-out solo home run into the right-field bullpen, his team-leading 11th long ball of the season. The Hokies threatened in their half of 10th on a one-out single from Ryan Tufts, a wild pitch and an intentional walk to Sam Fragale, but Doyle induced a high pop to right field on the first pitch to Stevie Mangrum to end the game.

The Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529 is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams at University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Commonwealth Clash encourages a friendly, statewide rivalry between the two schools across all school-sponsored sports with 22 individual event points on the line. The school that accumulates 11.5 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy. Visit TheCommonwealthClash.com for more information and updated standings.

UVA clinched a point in the Commonwealth Clash. Virginia Tech holds a 9-8 lead in the latest standings.