No. 9 Virginia Drops Rubber Match at No. 11 Duke

DURHAM, N.C. – No. 11 Duke (20-8, 6-6 ACC) came back on two different occasions and used a five-run, seventh inning rally to come away with a 7-4 win over No. 9 Virginia (22-6, 7-5 ACC) on Saturday (March 30) at Jack Coombs Field.

Virginia led 2-0 in the top of the third and 3-2 in the top of the seventh but it was ultimately a five-run, seventh inning that proved to be the difference in the game. The five-run frame was the fifth by an UVA opponent this season.

Four Cavaliers put forth multi-hit efforts including Casey Saucke who went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Starting pitcher Kevin Jaxel, making his second career start, pitched five innings allowed three hits and two runs while striking out four. He did not allow a hit until an infield single that led off the fourth.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Virginia struck first for the second-straight day and went ahead 1-0 on an RBI double by Saucke to right centerfield in the top of the third. It was his second double of the series.

• The Cavaliers made it 2-0 in the fourth with an RBI single by Henry Godbout that scored Jacob Ference. Godbout went 2-for-4 in the contest and was 4-for-11 (.364) in the series.
• The only mistake Jaxel made in the contest was surrendering a two-run homer to Logan Bravo in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score at two. It was the only home run by either team in the three-game series.
• Griff O’Ferrall put forth his team-leading, 14th multi-hit effort of the game, and left the top of the seventh off with a double to left. He came around to score on a two-out RBI double by Henry Ford to put UVA in front 3-2.

• Duke capitalized on two UVA fielding errors and sent 10 batters to the plate in its half of the seventh.
• Virginia got the tying run to the plate in the top of the eighth after an RBI single by Luke Hanson but Blue Devil reliver Charlie Beilenson induced a pair of pop outs to end threat and worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to seal the victory.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Ference extended hit streak to 13 games with a single in the fourth.
• O’Ferrall finished the game 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. It marked the fifth time in his career he had two doubles in a game.
• Virginia falls to 12-3 this season when scoring first.

UP NEXT

Virginia returns home on Tuesday (April 2) to host ODU and open a six-game homestand. The non-conference tilt against the Monarchs is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start at Disharoon Park.