Virginia Outslugs Monmouth to Open Weekend in FloridaVirginia Outslugs Monmouth to Open Weekend in Florida

Virginia Outslugs Monmouth to Open Weekend in Florida

UVA sprints past Monmouth with seven homers

Box Score

DELAND, Fla. – Led by the offensive trio of AJ Gracia, Sam Harris and Noah Murray, the Virginia baseball team (5-0) run-ruled the Monmouth Hawks (1-3) in eight innings at Mechling Field on Friday afternoon (Feb. 20).

 

Gracia hit three home runs on the afternoon, while Harris and Murray each homered twice to become the first trio of Cavaliers to have multiple home runs in the same game since 2000. Gracia is the sixth Virginia player to hit three home runs during a game in program history and the first since Henry Ford did it against North Carolina in 2024.

 

On the mound, Kevin Jaxel picked up his third win of the season for UVA in the lopsided affair.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Gracia opened the scoring on Friday afternoon for the Hoos with a solo shot in the second at-bat of the day. Three batters later, Harrison Didawick drove in Sam Harris to put UVA up a pair and Murray capped off a four-run frame with a two-run double.
  • Monmouth got on the board in the home half of the frame, thanks to a UVA fielding error.
  • For the second time in as many innings, Gracia smashed a home run that put the Cavaliers up 5-1.
  • The Hawks scratched two more runs in the second with back-to-back RBI singles.
  • Monmouth pulled within a run at 5-4 in the bottom of the third with an RBI single.
  • Following a one-out single from Gracia, Sam Harris crushed a two-run homer to right field for his first homer of the year.
  • Murray made it an 8-4 contest in the top of the fifth with is second home run of the season.
  • In the home half of the fifth, Kevin Jaxel worked out a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout and a flyout.
  • The UVA duo of Gracia and Harris put the Cavaliers up 10-4 in the top of the sixth with back-to-back solo shots.
  • Monmouth made one final push in the home half of the seventh when the Hawks scored four runs after a UVA fielding error prolonged the frame with two outs.
  • Not to be outdone, the Cavaliers exploded for 11 runs in the top of the eighth. The inning was highlighted by Murray’s second home run of the day and a pair of two-run doubles from Sam Harris and Antonio Perrotta.
  • Jayden Stroman sealed the Cavalier victory by striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth to end the game.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • With Friday’s win, Virginia moves to 10-1 all-time against the Monmouth Hawks.  
  • Since the start of 2021, UVA is 37-6 in February.
  • With the win, Chris Pollard becomes the second head coach in program history to win the first five games of his tenure.
  • UVA’s seven home runs on Friday are the most by the Cavaliers in a game since Virginia hit eight at George Washington in 2024.
  • The outfield duo of Harrison Didawick and Zach Jackson are the only two Cavaliers to tally a base knock in the first five games of the season.
  • Noah Murray set a new career-high with six RBIs.
  • AJ Gracia tied his career-high with three home runs on Friday.
  • Gracia is the 16th Cavalier to score five runs in a single game.

UP NEXT

Virginia continues its weekend on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Stetson. Lefty Max Stammel is slated to pitch for the Cavaliers against the Hatters’ righthander Ethan Phillips.