No. 21 Virginia Completes Season Sweep of VCU

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 21 Virginia (36-11) scored nine of the final 10 runs of the game in a 11-6 win over VCU (22-23) on Tuesday (May 2) at Disharoon Park. With the victory, the Cavaliers claim both games of a home-and-home series with the Rams after a 19-6 win in Richmond back on April 18.

Virginia trailed by three going into the bottom of the fifth but rattled off seven unanswered runs between the fifth and seventh innings to complete the first series sweep of VCU since 2019. Griff O’Ferrall led the way for the Cavaliers with a 3-for-4, three-run, two RBI effort at the plate. All three of his hits went for extra bases (two doubles and a triple). Kyle Teel and Ethan O’Donnell each added home runs in the come-from-behind win.

Bradley Hodges was credited with his second win of the season after he pitched 1.1 innings of relief. He was not charged with an earned run and struck out a batter in his 15th appearance of the year.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cavaliers had the lead twice in the first three innings before VCU made it a 5-2 ballgame in the top of the fifth inning, thanks to a four-run rally. The Rams batted around and scored all four runs with two outs, the final two came on a two-out double by Jacob Selden, his first hit of the season.
• Virginia pulled within two in the bottom half of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Ethan O’Donnell that scored Harrison Didawick from third base. Didawick led off the frame with his ACC-leading, fourth triple of the season.
• The Cavaliers broke it open in the sixth, sending 11 batters to the plate and pushing five runs across, the 21st time this season UVA has scored five or more runs in an inning.
• Kyle Teel kicked off the big inning with a lead-off solo homer to right field. The long ball was his ninth of the season, matching his career-high set as a freshman in 2021.

• Anthony Stephan tied the game at five with an opposite field double to left, that scored Ethan Anderson from second base.
• O’Ferrall gave UVA the lead for good with his first triple of the season that allowed both Stephan and Colin Tuft to score. The Cavaliers capped the big inning with an O’Donnell two-out, RBI single up the middle.

• O’Donnell gave the Cavaliers a five-run cushion in the eighth inning with his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot over the right field wall. O’Donnell was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a season-high, four RBI in the contest.

• Relievers Kevin Jaxel and Angelo Tonas helped preserve the Cavalier victory by combining to pitch the final three innings. Tonas faced the minimum over the last two frames and struck out a season-high four batters.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia won its 27th-consecutive regular season non-conference game and is 23-0 against non-ACC foes this season. The Cavaliers are the only team in the country without a non-conference loss.
• Ethan Anderson, who came into the game as ACC co-leader in doubles with Teel, recorded his 21st double of the season which is tied for the 6th-most in a season in program history. He’s two doubles shy of matching the single-season school mark held by Stephen Bruno (2012) and Dan Street (2002).
• Jake Gelof had an RBI groundout in the first and drew a bases loaded walk in the third to give UVA its first two leads of the day. He upped his season RBI total to 72, the third-most in a single season in program history. He now sits alone in third place on UVA’s career list with 168.
• Virginia improves to 47-25 against VCU and has now won three-straight games against the rams dating back to last season.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers are back in action on Wednesday to host JMU at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers will have lefty Connelly Early (8-1) on mound and he will be opposed by righthander Sean Culkin (1-0). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.