Virginia Falls Short in Game 1 of NCAA Super Regionals

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  – Jake Gelof’s long fly ball in the bottom of the ninth was nearly a walk-off home run and Virginia victory, but it was caught on the warning track by Blue Devil left fielder Tyler Albright to close out a 5-4 Duke (39-22) victory in game one of the NCAA Super Regionals. The Cavaliers had their nine-game home win streak snapped and fall to 48-13 on the season. 

Trailing 4-3 in the top of the eighth, Duke tied the game on a fielder’s choice to the outfield and took the lead for good on a two-out RBI single by Luke Storm that plated Giovanni DiGiacomo for the go-ahead run. 

Virginia’s Jay Woolfolk (2-1) suffered his first loss of the year. Virginia righty Nick Parker started on the mound for the Hoos and recorded four strikeouts, while scattering three runs on six hits in 6.2 innings, his fifth quality start of the season.  

Both Kyle Teel and Ethan Anderson went 2-for-4 at the plate. Teel’s lone RBI of the game in the sixth sparked a three-run inning for UVA. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• The Blue Devils drew first blood on their first hit of the day, a two-run homer by nine-hitter Damon Lux over the left center field wall in the top of the third.
• UVA responded in the bottom half of the third with a run of its own. Colin Tuft drew a one-out walk and went first to third on a Griff O’Ferrall single to right field. Tuft scored when Ethan O’Donnell beat out the Blue Devils’ double play attempt. 
• With two outs in fifth, Duke tacked on to its lead with three straight hits, including a triple by Alex Mooney on a ball that got past a diving Casey Saucke in right field. Mooney scored on a Cavalier fielding error to make it 3-1 in favor of the Blue Devils.
• The Cavaliers responded in their half of the sixth with three runs beginning with an RBI single from Teel that allowed Gelof to score from second. Gelof reached on his 22nd double of the season to lead off the inning.

• Anthony Stephan was credited with an RBI after his hard-hit ground ball was snagged a diving Jay Beshears, allowing Teel to score from third. Henry Godbout went first-pitch swinging on reliever Fran Oschell III and skied a ball to right that was deep enough for Anderson to score from third.
• After a scoreless seventh inning, Duke regained the lead in the top of the eighth. The Blue Devils drove in a run on a fielder’s choice with bases loaded, which was followed by a go-ahead RBI single to left by Storm.
• Teel’s second hit of the day and his fifth stolen base of the year put a runner in scoring position with no outs in the eighth. Oschell struck out the next batter and induced two fly outs to end the threat.
• After allowing a pair of two-out baserunners, freshman lefty James Tallon kept Gelof’s 352-foot fly ball in the yard to secure his 12th save of the season.

ADDITIONAL NOTES 

• With the loss, Virginia dropped to 10-4 in opening games of its three-game series this season.
• The Cavaliers saw their nine-game win streak at Disharoon Park come to a close. UVA’s last loss at home came against the Blue Devils in the game three of the regular-season series on April 30.
• In the second inning, Ethan Anderson recorded his 25th double of the season to move into a tie with teammate Kyle Teel for the UVA single season doubles record.
• With three runs scored in the sixth, UVA has outscored its opponents 84-26 in sixth innings this year.
• UVA is now 6-3 in one-run games this season.
• The Cavaliers had won 81-straight games when leading after the seventh inning dating back to the 2021 season. It’s last loss when leading after seven came in the 2021 College World Series against eventual national champion Mississippi State.
• Virginia has lost the opening game of a Super Regional four times (2009, 2013, 2014 & 2021) and have advanced in three of those series.
• Friday was only the third loss suffered by the Cavaliers in a Nick Parker start and first six starts. UVA is 12-3 in his 15 games he’s pitched in this season. It was his 55th career start (40 at Coastal Carolina and 15 at UVA), the second-most of any active college pitcher.
• Griff O’Ferrall recorded his 29th multi-hit effort of the season and now has 99 hits on the year, one shy of match Phil Gosselin (2010) for second on UVA single-season list.

UP NEXT 

The Cavaliers and Duke return to Disharoon Park on Saturday (June 10) for game two of the best-of-three series. The Cavaliers will have LHP Connelly Early (11-2) on the mound and he will be opposed by RHP Alex Gow (3-3). First pitch is set for noon on ESPN2.