No. 19 Virginia Sweeps Columbia After Big Eighth Inning

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 19 Virginia (7-0) completed the three-game series sweep over Columbia (0-3) with a 9-1 victory on Sunday (Feb. 26) at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers scored all nine of its runs in the eighth inning, the third time this season UVA has scored nine or more runs in a single inning.

Neither team had a scored a run until UVA sent 13 batters to the plate in the eighth. The Cavaliers took advantage of three Columbia errors, four walks and a hit by pitch to remain unbeaten on the season. All nine runs scored in the frame were unearned. Ethan Anderson put the exclamation point on the offensive outburst with a 3-run homer to right field to make it 9-0.

Reliever Jay Woolfolk was credited with his first win of the season after recording the final five outs of the game. The sophomore righthander rescued the Cavaliers by retiring the final two batters of a bases loaded jam in the top of the eighth inning.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Starting pitcher Jack O’Connor toss six scoreless innings and struck out three batters in a no-decision. He needed only 74 pitches to earn his first collegiate quality start. In his two starts this season he has yet to allow a run and has surrendered just three hits in 11 innings pitched.
• Freshman Bradley Hodges took over in the seventh and struck out the side to keep the game scoreless. The lefty ran into trouble in the seventh allowing three of the first four batter to reach base.
• With one out and the bases loaded, Woolfolk struck out the first batter on a 3-2 fastball and induced an inning-ending fly out to center to keep the score 0-0.
• Virginia scored the game’s first run on a bases loaded walk drawn by Harrison Didawick that allowed Casey Saucke to score.
• Two more runs came around on a sharp ground ball hit by Griff O’Ferrall that was mishandled by the Columbia third baseman. A wild pitch and subsequent Lion error on the play allowed two additional UVA runs to score and give the Cavaliers a 5-0 advantage.
• Batting for the second time in the inning, Saucke singled home Jake Gelof to put the Cavaliers up 6-0.
• Anderson, the 11^th batter of the inning, capped the nine-run rally with his first home run of the season. Anderson finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. The multi-hit effort was his team-leading, fifth of the season.

• Columbia scored its lone run on an opposite field, solo home run by Hayden Schott in the top of the ninth.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The quality start by O’Connor was the second of the series for Virginia a UVA pitcher (Nick Parker – Game 1).
• Virginia is 7-0 to start the season for the second-straight year and the seventh time under head coach Brian O’Connor.
• Brian O’Connor ups his career win total to 796 with Sunday’s victory.
• Virginia improved to 8-1 all-time against Columbia. The series was the first time the two schools have met since 1926.
• Virginia did not commit an error for the fifth time in seven games.
• Anderson finished the series with a team-best five hits and five RBI in the three-game set.

UP NEXT: Virginia, in the middle of 10-game homestand, will be back in action on Tuesday (Feb. 28) to host VMI. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Disharoon Park.