No. 7 Virginia Suffers First Home Loss of Season

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 7 Virginia (30-5, 11-5 ACC) scored in each of its last three turns at the plate but fell, 7-5 at the hands of Pitt (15-17, 6-8 ACC) on Friday (April 14) at Disharoon Park. The Panther victory snapped Virginia’s 23-game home win streak, the longest in the nation and the longest in program history.

UVA out-hit Pitt, 16-14 in the contest, the third time this season the Cavaliers have lost despite collecting more hits than their opponent. Griff O’Ferrall continued his torrid hitting pace with his fifth, 3+ hit performance in his last seven games. The Cavalier shortstop went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and upped his season batting average to .404. He has hit safely in 12-straight games and reached base each of the last 26 games.

Kyle Teel and Jake Gelof each hit solo home runs in the contest. Teel hit his seventh of the year and went 2-for-5 on Friday night. Gelof led the seventh inning off with his sixth home run in his last six games. The long ball was his 40^th of his career and team-best, 15^th of the season.

The nation’s leader in RBI coming into the weekend, Gelof added three more total and now has 59 in 35 games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Pitt plated the game’s first run on after the first two batters of the game reached base. Sky Duff scored on an RBI groundout by Noah Martinez to make it 1-0. UVA opponents have scored 23 runs in the first inning this year, the most of any other frame.
• Following a sacrifice fly by Gelof to tie the game in the third inning, Teel hit a solo home run to left field to give UVA its only lead of the game.

• Pitt scored five-straight runs between the third and sixth innings and opened up a 6-2 advantage. Justin Acal hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the fourth inning, his sixth home run of the season.
• Virginia pulled within two twice in the back third of the game. Gelof put the Cavaliers within two with a solo homer to left field in the seventh and a two-out RBI double in the eighth.

• Pitt added some insurance in the top of the ninth with a solo home run by Noah Martinez, his second RBI of the game.
• Casey Saucke collected his third hit of the game on a sharp single to left in the ninth and scored on a dropped fly ball with two outs to once again get UVA within two.
• Nash Bryan induced the game-ending pop out to record his third save of the season.

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Gelof now has 155 career RBI and moves into a tie with former teammate Alex Tappen for the 10^th-most in program history.
• With the home run in the seventh, Gelof has now homered in 10-straight ACC series dating back to last season. He’s the 14^th active NCAA batter to hit 40 career home runs.
• Virginia grounded into a season-high, three double plays in the contest including one in the bottom of the ninth inning.
• Friday marked Virginia’s first loss at home since May 15, 2023, an 8-2 setback in the first game of a doubleheader against Clemson.
• Teel has now reached base in all 35 games this season and is batting .436 on the year.
• UVA gave up its first earned run in 18 innings when Martinez plated a run on an RBI groundout in the first inning.

UP NEXT

The three-game set against Pitt continues on Saturday (April 15) with the middle game with a first pitch slated for 6 p.m. at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers will have righthander Nick Parker (3-0) and he will be opposed by fellow righty Logan Evans (1-1).