Virginia Tops VCU In Series OpenerVirginia Tops VCU In Series Opener
Olivia McLucas/Virginia Sports

Virginia Tops VCU In Series Opener

Zatkowski fans eight in in victory

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Behind Henry Zatkowski’s career day on the mound and a pair of home runs, the Virginia baseball team (8-1) surged past the VCU Rams (4-5) by a score of 5-3 on Friday afternoon (Feb. 27) at Disharoon Park.

 

Zatkowski threw six innings of one-hit ball and fanned a career-high eight Ram batters to pick up the win while Tyler Kapa collected his second save of the season. Eric Becker led the way offensively, going 2-for-5 with three runs driven in while scoring twice himself.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • To open the weekend, Zatkowski retired the first 11 batters he faced, including five strikeouts.  
  • For the second time in as many games, Becker led off the home half of the first with a home run. The solo shot was the shortstop’s second of the year and put Virginia up 1-0.
  • Noah Jouras doubled the Cavalier lead in the bottom of the third when the catcher crushed his second homer of the year off the batter’s eye in center field.
  • The visiting Rams tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth when a pair of one-out walks came home to score on a VCU double and an RBI groundout.
  • UVA answered in the bottom of the frame when Becker doubled home Zach Jackson and Kyle Johnson to give the Cavaliers a 4-2 advantage.
  • Two pitches later, AJ Gracia singled home Becker for Virginia’s fifth and final run of the afternoon.
  • After allowing the pair of runs in the fourth, Zatkowski sat down the final six Ram batters he faced.
  • Out of the Virginia bullpen, the trio of Lucas Hartman, Kevin Jaxel and Kapa combined to allow one run on one hit in three innings of work to secure the Virginia victory on Friday.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • Since the start of the 2021 season, Virginia is now 40-7 in February.
  • Head Coach Chris Pollard matches Brian O’Connor’s 8-1 start in 2004 for the best start in a UVA head coaching tenure in program history.
  • Dating back to last season, Virginia is riding a 14-game home winning streak. The longest current streak by a power  
  • With his single in the fifth, Harrison Didawick remains the only Cavalier to record a base knock in all nine games this season.

UP NEXT

UVA and VCU will close out the home portion of the split weekend on Saturday (Feb. 28) with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers will have lefty Max Stammel on the bump against the Rams’ right-hander Patrick Steitz.