Virginia Forces Decisive Game Three Behind Big Offensive Day

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (49-13) evened the best-of-three super regional series with a 14-4 win over Duke (39-23) on Saturday (June 10) in front the fifth-straight sellout crowd at Disharoon Park. The 14-run outburst was the most runs UVA has ever scored in a super regional game.

The Cavaliers belted four home runs on the day including the 23rd of the season by Jake Gelof to break Virginia’s single season record. Gelof went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBI. The home run also helped the Cavalier slugger eclipse the program’s career RBI mark of 182 previously held by Steven Proscia (2009-11). Gelof now has 48 home runs and 184 RBI in his three-year Cavalier career.

Starting pitcher Connelly Early, the Charlottesville Regional Most Outstanding Player, followed up the performance by striking eight batters over seven innings of work. The lefthander was not charged with an earned run and did not walk a batter to earn his 12th win of the season, matching the program’s single-season record held by Danny Hultzen (2011) and Seth Greisinger (1996).

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Griff O’Ferrall hit the second pitch of the game over the left center field wall, his first homer of the season. It was his 100th hit of year and the first leadoff homer by a Cavalier since 2016 (Adam Haseley vs. George Washington on April 6).

• Three hits in the second inning led to two more runs and put UVA up 3-0. Anthony Stephan hit a fly ball deep enough to center to allow Ethan Anderson to score on a sacrifice fly. On the ensuing play, Casey Saucke scored from second on a one-out base knock off the bat of Henry Godbout.
• Duke cut the Cavalier lead in half in the fifth on a two-out, two-run double by Luke Storm, his second and third RBI of the series. The Blue Devils moved within a run when Damon Lux replaced Storm at second, his 11th double of the year. All three runs in the frame were unearned.
• The Cavaliers erupted for four runs in the fifth, three came around on Ethan Anderson’s 410-foot shot that bounced out of Disharoon Park. The long ball was Anderson’s 13th of the year and second in the NCAA Tournament.

• A batter later Anthony Stephan hit a line-drive over the Cavalier bullpen in right to give UVA an 8-3 advantage. It was Stephan’s second home run of the NCAA Tournament and fourth of the season.
• Jake Gelof delivered his 85th and 86th RBI of the season with a two-run double in the sixth to put UVA up 10-3.

• Gelof highlighted a four-run eighth inning with his historic blast that traveled 442-feet over the bleachers in left field.

• Saucke capped the UVA scoring with a two-run, two-out double that scored Stephan and Kyle Teel. Saucke went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI in the contest. Saucke has three, multi-hit efforts in five NCAA Tournament games this season.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The first inning home run was O’Ferrall’s third of his career. It also marked his 26th first-inning hit of the season. UVA is 22-3 in games O’Ferrall records a hit in the first inning. It was the first time he’s had a hit in the first inning against Duke in eight career games.
• O’Ferrall became the third Cavalier to accumulate 100 hits in a season, joining teammate Kyle Teel and Phill Gosselin (100 in 2010).
• UVA won its 36th home game, establishing a new school record for home wins in a season. UVA is 36-5 at Disharoon Park this season.
• Two sacrifice flies in the contest were tied for the most in game this season and tied for the most by UVA in an NCAA Tournament game. The two sac flies are the most in an NCAA Tournament games since a pair against Florida in the 2015 College World Series (6/20/15).
• Anderson’s is 11-for-21 (.524) with two home runs, five doubles and five RBI in five games against Duke this season.
• It marked the 23rd time UVA has scored 10+ runs this season. UVA is 22-1 when scoring 10 or more runs.
• Early recorded his team-leading seventh quality start of the season. He has pitched into the seventh inning in back-to-back games for the first time this year.
• UVA’s 14 runs on Saturday were the most ever scored by UVA in a super regional, topping the 11 posted against Maryland on June 9, 2014.

UP NEXT

The winner-take all-game between Virginia and Duke will take place on Sunday (June 11) at noon at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers will have RHP Brian Edgington (8-3) on the mound and he will be opposed by Duke righty Ryan Higgins (3-0).