Hot Start Propels Cavaliers Over Army, 15-1

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  – In front of a Disharoon Park postseason record crowd (5,487), Virginia (46-12) combined for 10 runs in the first two innings on the way to a 15-1 victory over Army (38-17) in the opening game of the Charlottesville Regional Friday afternoon (June 2).  

Seven different Cavaliers recorded RBIs, including first baseman Ethan Anderson, who went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, a home run and a game-high, three RBI. Griff O’Ferrall and Casey Saucke each had three hits in the contest. It marked the 18^th time this season O’Ferrall has collected three or more hits in a game.

UVA starting pitcher Brian Edgington worked five perfect innings and earned his 20^th win of his career. The graduate student struck out four batters in the process. Relievers Cullen McKay (2.0 IP), Chase Hungate (1.0 IP) and Jack O’Connor (1.0 IP) limited Army to just two hits over the final four innings.

UVA’s 15 runs scored are its most in an NCAA Tournament game since 2016, when the Cavaliers posted 17 runs against William & Mary. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Virginia was on the scoreboard four batters into the game on an RBI single by Kyle Teel that scored Griff O’Ferrall. 

• Anderson followed with a two-run homer to left field to give UVA a 4-0 advantage. The long ball was his 12th of the season.

• The Cavaliers tacked on two more runs in the frame on an RBI double by Henry Godbout and an RBI single from O’Ferrall, his second of the inning. The Cavaliers sent 11 batters to the plate in the six-run frame. 
• UVA capitalized on three Army fielding errors in the second to open up a 10-0 advantage.
• The Cavaliers tacked on one run in both the fourth and sixth innings to go ahead 12-0 heading into the top of the seventh. In both instances, UVA put runners on base with one-out doubles followed by RBI singles to the outfield.
• The Black Knights got on the board in the top of the seventh after a fielding error that allowed the Army’s Ross Friedrick, who was originally on second, to round third and touch home safely.
• In the bottom half of the seventh, the Cavaliers led the inning off with three-straight doubles to plate two runs. Anderson got it started with his 24th double of the year and was followed by Chris Baker and then Godbout for UVA 13th and 14th runs of the afternoon. Anderson and Teel now share the program’s single season record for doubles in a season (24).
• With bases loaded in the eighth, Anderson plated his third RBI of the game on sacrifice fly to left field, which gave UVA a 15-1 lead.

ADDITIONAL NOTES 

• Virginia scored six runs in the first inning, the 23rd time this season scoring five or more runs in an inning. 
• Virginia is 25-5 when scoring in the first inning and improved to 31-6 on the season when scoring first.
• For the 22nd time this season, UVA scored 10 or more runs in a game.
• UVA’s 15 runs scored are its most in an NCAA Tournament game since tallying 17 against William & Mary on June 3, 2016.
• With two hits, Kyle Teel now has 96 on the season and moved sole possession of second place on UVA’s single season hits list.
• Ethan Anderson, who blasted a three-run shot in the first, became the fourth Cavalier this season to record at least 12 home runs. It marks the first time in program history, four players have totaled 12 or more homers in a year.
• Friday’s contest marked UVA’s third highest attendance figure (5,487) in school history and highest in a postseason game.

• The combined two-hitter was the first by the Cavaliers in the postseason since Brandon Waddell and Josh Sborz limited Florida to two hits in a 1-0 win over Florida in the College World Series (June 15, 2015).

UP NEXT
The Cavaliers face the winner of Oklahoma (31-26) and East Carolina (45-17) on Saturday (June 3) at 6 p.m. Saturday’s TV designation will be determined either late Friday evening or early Saturday morning and will be posted to VirginiaSports.com when determined. The Sooners and Pirates are slated to go head-to-head at The Dish Friday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.