/
.
Baseball
Season-High 14 Hits Helps Virginia Complete Sweep of Villanova
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (4-3) won its fourth-straight game and completed the series sweep against Villanova (0-6) with a 10-2 victory at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers scored nine unanswered runs beginning in the sixth inning to improve to 4-0 at home.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (4-3) won its fourth-straight game and completed the series sweep against Villanova (0-6) with a 10-2 victory at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers scored nine unanswered runs beginning in the sixth inning to improve to 4-0 at home.
The Cavaliers trailed twice in the contest thanks to a pair of Villanova solo homers in the first and sixth innings. Virginia took its first lead of the contest in the bottom of the sixth with a five-run outburst, its fourth-straight game with an inning of five runs. The Cavaliers came from behind to win all three games in the series, never trailing by more than a run.
Junior Logan Michaels (DeForest, Wis.) led the Cavalier offense, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored. He went 5-for-7 in the series and has a hit in each of his five starts on the year. He scored the go-ahead run in the big sixth inning on a Jack Weiller (Katonah, N.Y.) sacrifice fly.
Michaels was one of five Cavaliers to put fourth multi-hit efforts. Freshman Zack Gelof (Rehoboth Beach, Del.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored, two RBI and two stolen bases. He leads the team with nine RBI and four stolen bases. Junior Cameron Simmons (Royersford, Pa.), Brendan Rivoli (Douglassville, Pa.), and Cameron Comer (Powell, Ohio) each had two-hit performances for Virginia.
On the mound, junior Paul Kosanovich (Temple City, Calif.) earned his first win, relieving starting pitcher Noah Murdock (Colonial Heights, Va.) in the sixth inning. Kosanovich retired all six batters he faced and stranded a Villanova runner in scoring position in the sixth.
Between Kosanovich, Riley Wilson (Midlothian, Va.) and Chesdin Harrington (Montpelier, Va.), Villanova did not record a hit over the final four innings. Wilson struck out the side in the eighth and Harrington faced the minimum in the ninth, aided by a caught stealing from Drew Hamrock (Roswell, Ga.).
Murdock allowed a pair of solo home runs, including one to leadoff the game and a go-ahead shot to start the sixth. The right hander fanned seven batters, allowing just the two runs over five innings of work. He is tied for the team lead, with 12 strikeouts on the season.
Virginia will continue its home stand with a non-conference tilt against William & Mary on Tuesday (Feb. 26) at 3 p.m. The contest will air live on ACC Network Extra.
Additional Notes
• The three-game sweep was Virginia’s first since April 7-9, 2017 when it took all three from Pittsburgh at home.
• Weiller delivered for the Cavaliers off the bench again and is now 2-for-2 with two sacrifice flies and three RBI as a pinch-hitter.
• Sophomore Devin Ortiz (Irvington, N.J.) picked up his first hit of the season, a pinch-hit single in the bottom of the eighth. He came around to scored game’s 9th run on an Eikhoff single.
• Comer drew his ninth walk in Sunday’s contest and has been issued a free pass in all four of his starts this season.
• As a team, Virginia stole four bases in the series finale, the first time its swiped four bags in a game since April 19, 2017 when it tallied five vs. James Madison.