No. 23 Cavaliers Rally with Eight-Run Ninth to Even Series with Cal

BERKLEY, Calif.  – Down to its last three outs, the No. 23 Virginia (11-6, 2-3 ACC) erupted for eight runs in the top of the ninth to win a 10-8 affair over the Cal (9-9, 2-3 ACC) on Saturday (March 15) at Stu Gordon Stadium.

Virginia trailed 2-0 after two innings and was down 7-2 entering the ninth inning, only to even the weekend series with UVA’s sixth come-from-behind victory of the year. The five-run deficit was the largest the Cavaliers have overcome for a victory in 2025.

Freshman Chone James delivered a two-out, go-ahead double in the top of the ninth to put UVA ahead for the first time. Walker Buchanan followed with a two-RBI double to cap the eight-run frame. James and Buchanan, who both came on to pinch hit in the ninth, combined for four hits, four RBI and three runs scored in the rally.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Three-straight two-out base hits in the bottom of the opening frame gave Cal an early 1-0.
• Cal added on another run two innings later when a potential double-play ball was booted by the Cavalier defense, allowing a Bear to scamper home from third.
• Virginia got on the board in the top of the fourth when Henry Ford belted his first home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2. Eric Becker scored on Ford’s blast after working a one-out walk.
• The homestanding Bears regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth when a Cal runner scored from second on Virginia’s second error of the day.
• Cal added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh on the third Cavalier error of the contest. The UVA error was followed by an RBI single that extended the Bear lead to 5-2.
• A leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh gave way to back-to-back two-out RBI doubles that made it a 7-2 contest in favor of the Bears.
• The pinch-hit duo of James and Buchanan opened the ninth inning with back-to-back singles before a Luke Hanson single loaded the bases for UVA with no outs.
• Aidan Teel was hit by a pitch to plate James before an Aiden Harris walk scored Buchanan to make it an 7-4 contest.
• Becker beat the throw on an RBI infield single that scored Hanson. A Ford RBI groundout brought home Teel to bring Virginia within a run at 7-6.
• Following a James Nunnallee hit by pitch to reload the bases, James put the Cavaliers ahead for the first time on the day with a two-run double to right center that scored Becker and Harris.
• In Buchanan’s second at bat of the inning, the sophomore added some insurance with a two-run double to right center of his own that pushed the Virginia advantage to 10-8.
• Cal worked a pair of one-out walks in the bottom of the ninth and scratched across a run before Matt Lanzendorfer got a fly out in foul territory to secure the 10-8 comeback victory and his second save of the season.

 ADDITIONAL NOTES

• With the win, Virginia improves to 6-0 after a defeat this season.
• Adian Teel extended his on-base streak to 17 games with his leadoff double to start the game.
• Ford recorded his team-leading ninth multi-hit game on Saturday.
• Buchanan’s ninth inning RBIs were the first of this collegiate career.

UP NEXT

Virginia will look to take the series against Cal on Sunday (March 16) in the weekend finale. Lefty Evan Blanco (0-0) is slated to be on the bump for the Hoos against the Bears’ righthander Ethan Foley (2-0). First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on ACCNX and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM).