No. 13 Virginia Prevails in 10th on Godbout Walk-Off

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Sophomore Henry Godbout scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning and then delivered a walk-off single in the 10th to give No. 13 Virginia (9-0) a 4-3 victory over UMass (1-4) on Friday (March 1). It marks the seventh comeback victory in nine games this season for the Cavaliers.

Godbout led off the ninth with a double down the left field line and came around a batter later on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Whalen. In the bottom of the 10th, Harrison Didawick produced a one-out single and stole second base to setup Godbout’s heroics. On a 0-2 pitch, Godbout got a barrel on an inside fastball and deposited it into right-center field for the game-winner.

Godbout went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI in the contest and upped his season batting average to .519. He has now hit safely in eight-straight games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Didawick gave UVA the initial lead in the fourth inning when he drew a bases loaded walk. The Cavaliers went up 2-0 on a Godbout RBI groundout that plated Ethan Anderson.
• The Minutemen capitalized on a UVA fielding miscue in the sixth for a three-run rally. Godbout committed a two-out fielding error that allowed a run to score from second base. The next batter, Mike Gervasi, hit a two-run homer to put UMass up 3-2.
• Virginia starting pitcher Evan Blanco was outstanding, tossing 5.2 innings without being charged with an earned run. He struck out a career-high eight batters, the most by a UVA pitcher this season and the most by a Cavalier since Brian Edgington’s 11-strikeout performance against Duke in the 2023 NCAA Super Regional. Blanco retired the first 10 batters of the game including five of the first six by way of the strikeout.

• The bullpen combination of Ryan Osinski (1.0 IP, 0 R), Angelo Tonas (2.0 IP, 0 R, 2 SO) and Aidan Teel (1.0 IP, 0 R, 1 SO) provided four innings of scoreless relief. Teel was credited with the win, working around a UMass leadoff baserunner in the 10th.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia has won eight of its last nine extra-inning games including both this season.
• Virginia is 9-0 for the third-straight season and eighth time under head coach Brian O’Connor.
• The Cavaliers have won 38-straight regular season non-conference games including 26-straight at Disharoon Park.
• Virginia is 5-0 in games decided by one or two runs this season.
• Casey Saucke extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a bunt single in the fourth. The streak includes the final eight games of the 2023 postseason run. 

UP NEXT

The series with UMass continues Saturday (March 2) with the middle game of a three-game set. The Cavaiers will have Jack O’Connor (0-0) on the mound and first pitch on ACCNX is scheduled for 1 p.m.