No. 10 Virginia Suffers Midweek Loss to ODU

NORFOLK, Va.  – No. 10 Virginia (28-9) dropped its first midweek contest in almost two years, falling 7-4 to ODU (19-17) in front of 4,082 fans at Harbor Park on Tuesday (April 16). Virginia took two of three meetings against ODU this season.

The Cavaliers lost in the middle of the week for the first time since April 19, 2022, a 9-7 loss in 10 innings to VCU, a stretch of 29 consecutive midweek victories. Including tonight’s result, Virginia has only dropped two of its last 36 regular season non-conference games.

ODU limited Virginia, the nation’s leader in hits, to seven base knocks on Tuesday night, its second-lowest total of the season. Freshman Eric Becker was responsible for two of the UVA hits, his sixth multi-hit game of the season. Matthew Buchanan pitched three innings out of the bullpen, his longest outing since 2022, and allowed one run on four hits while striking out three.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Monarchs capitalized on a two-out UVA fielding error in the bottom of the first, plating three runs (one earned).
• Virginia got on the board in the third inning when Ethan Anderson just missed a bid at his fifth home run of the season but the deep fly ball did allow Becker to score from third base. It was Anderson’s 25th RBI of the season.
• ODU scored the next three runs, including two on a two-out, two RBI bloop single to center by Evan Holman in the bottom of the fifth to open up a 7-1 advantage.
• The Cavaliers mounted a rally in its last turn at the plate after ODU walked the first three batters to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Antonio Perrotta brought home Henry Ford on an RBI ground out to second base. A batter later Becker singled home the third UVA run and was followed by a Griff O’Ferrall RBI single to pull UVA within three.
• ODU reliever Vincent Bashara struck out the final batter of the game to seal the victory for the Monarchs, the first over UVA since 2022.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia has scored three or more ninth inning runs in each of its last four games. The Cavaliers have scored a total of 20 runs in the ninth inning over the last four games.
• The Cavaliers blanked ODU in each of the first two meetings this season, 8-0 on Feb. 21 and 4-0 on April 2. UVA pitchers had surrendered just six hits in the two previous games against the Monarchs.
• The all-time series against ODU is even at 35-35-2.
• Virginia was held without an extra base hit for the first time this season and the first time since March 16, 2023 against NC State.
• Henry Ford extended his reached base streak to 30 game with a single in the sixth inning.

UP NEXT

Virginia will return home to start a five-game homestand beginning with George Mason on Wednesday (April 16). First pitch at Disharoon Park is slated for 6 p.m.