Virginia Advances to NCAA Super Regionals with 8-3 Win over ECU

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  – Virginia (48-12) combined to score seven runs in the final three innings to pull away from East Carolina (47-19) in an 8-3 decision to win the Charlottesville Regional championship at Disharoon Park on Sunday (June 4). The Cavaliers clinch a berth into their eighth Super Regional in the last 15 years. 

UVA starting pitcher Connelly Early notched the win after holding the Pirates to just two runs on seven hits and matched his career-best with 10 strikeouts. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Charlottesville Regional. In addition to Early, Virginia’s Kyle Teel (C), Ethan Anderson (1B), Jake Gelof (3B), Casey Saucke (OF), Ethan O’Donnell (OF), Anthony Stephan (DH) and Nick Parker (P) earned all-tournament honors. 

Teel finished 4-for-5 at plate, with a home run and two RBIs. Both O’Donnell and Stephan launched three-run home runs in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, to help the Hoos slam the door Pirates, who eliminated UVA in last year’s Greenville Regional. 

SUPER REGIONAL TICKET INFORMATION
Super Regionals all-session tickets and parking passes go on sale to the general public beginning Monday (June 5) at 1 p.m. Fans may purchase tickets by visiting uvatix.com. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• As the designated visiting team, Virginia struck first in the top half of the opening frame. After Jake Gelof reached first safely on a dropped third strike which took a soft bounce off the backstop, another wild pitch allowed Gelof to advance to second. With one out and a full count, Teel drove in Gelof on a double down the right field line, which took a hop over the outfield wall, resulting in a ground-rule double.

• The Pirates evened the score (1-1) in bottom of the first after a sacrifice bunt moved an ECU baserunner to third, who was eventually brought home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Justin Wilcoxen.
• Virginia fell behind for the first time in the regional when three-straight Pirate singles in the fourth put ECU up 2-1. 
• The combination of ECU starting pitcher Zach Root and reliever Landon Ginn sat down 11 of 12 UVA batters between the third and sixth innings. The Cavaliers broke through in the seventh when Henry Godbout singled and Colin Tuft drew a one-out walk to set the stage for O’Donnell who blasted his 13th home run of the season to put UVA in front 4-2, a lead that would not be relinquished.

• The Hoos posted another three-run inning in the eighth on Stephan’s three-run homer to center field. Stephan’s third home run of the season extended UVA’s lead to 7-2.

• Teel’s fourth hit of the day, a solo home run in the top of the ninth, broke the UVA single season hits record. It was Teel’s 101st hit of the year. Teel passed Phil Gosselin’s 2010 single season mark of 100 hits.

 ADDITIONAL NOTES 

• With an RBI double in the first, Teel knocked home the first run of the game in each of UVA’s three NCAA regional contests. His four hits in the contest matched a single-game UVA postseason record, a feat last accomplished by eight other Cavaliers.
• Early tied his career high of 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings of action. It marked the sixth time this season a UVA pitcher tallied at least 10 strikeouts in a single game. Early (2), Nick Parker (2) and Brian Edington (2) all have recorded at least 10 strikeouts in a game twice this year.
• It marked the 17th time this season UVA has come from behind to win a game in 2023.
• Virginia won its 35th home game, matching a school record (2011: 35-5; 2013: 35-5) and improved to 35-4 at Disharoon Park this season.
• The Cavaliers have faced East Carolina in regional action five times, the most against any other opponent. UVA holds a 3-2 edge in postseason action against ECU and a 33-22 overall mark against the Pirates.
• Virginia went 3-0 in a regional play for the fifth time and the first time since 2015.

 UP NEXT 

The Cavaliers host the winner of the Conway Regional – either Duke or Coastal Carolina – in the NCAA Super Regionals next weekend (June 9-11). Start times and TV designations will post to VirginiaSports.com once determined. 

Charlottesville Regional All-Tournament Team 
C – Kyle Teel (Virginia) 
1B – Ethan Anderson (Virginia) 
2B – Jacob Starling (ECU) 
3B – Jake Gelof (Virginia) 
SS – Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) 
OF – Casey Saucke (Virginia) 
OF – Bryce Madron (Oklahoma) 
OF – Ethan O’Donnell (Virginia) 
DH – Easton Carmichael (Oklahoma)/Anthony Stephan (Virginia) 
P – Connelly Early (Virginia) 
P – Nick Parker (Virginia) 
Most Outstanding Player: Connelly Early (Virginia)