No. 11 Virginia Walks Off Navy in Seven Innings

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  – Anthony Stephan hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the seventh inning to help No. 11 Virginia (35-12) run-rule Navy 10-0 in seven innings. The walk-off victory was UVA’s fifth of the season.

Starting pitcher Evan Blanco combined with Matt Augustin for Virginia’s second shutout in the last three games. Blanco worked the first five innings and struck out five batters. Augustin pitched two hitless innings in his 17th appearance of the year. Blanco was credited with his fifth win of the season.

Stephan capped a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, making his first start since April 19. He scored three times and had three RBI. Henry Godbout also drove in three runs and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With a 1-0 lead after the first inning, Godbout provided the first set of fireworks for the night with his fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left give UVA a 3-0 advantage. It was his second home run in as many at bats after hitting a solo shot in the seventh inning on Tuesday at VCU.

• The Stephan/Godbout tandem sparked a four-run rally in the third. Stephan plated two on a hustle double on a ball that bounced into short right field and scored Harrison Didawick and Henry Ford. Godbout switched places with Stephan with a double down the left field line and Godbout came around to score on an Eric Becker single, putting UVA up 7-0.

• Didawick pulled UVA within a run of the run-rule threshold, capping a two-run rally in the fourth with a two-out, RBI double to right center.
• With one out in the seventh, Stephan belted a 1-0 pitch into right center field to seal the Cavaliers 35th win of the season. It was Stephan’s first long ball since game three of the 2023 NCAA Super Regional against Duke. It was part of a four-game stretch in the NCAA Tournament in which he homered three times.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Ethan Anderson recorded his 55th career double moving him into sole possession of third place on UVA’s all-time doubles list.
• Griff O’Ferrall stole his team-leading 12 base of the season, upping his career total to 45. He is two stolen bases shy of cracking UVA’s career top-10.
• The walk-off home run was UVA’s first since Devin Ortiz hit a walk-off grand slam against North Carolina on April 23, 2022.
• The official time of game was one hour and 45 minutes, the shortest UVA game since a one hour and 44 minute, six-inning contest against Monmouth on March 14, 2014. It is one seven games in the last 25 years to be played in one hour and 45 minutes or less.
• The seven-inning shutout was the first since blanking Georgia Tech in seven on May 19, 2015 (ACC Tournament)

UP NEXT

UVA will have the weekend off for final exams before returning to action next Wednesday (May 8) to host George Washington at 1 p.m. The final seven games of the regular season will be played at Disharoon Park.