No. 13 Virginia Rallies From Down Four Runs to Beat Liberty 7-4

The Cavaliers used a five-run seventh inning to erase a 4-0 deficit and defeated the Flames to snap a three-game losing streak

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

The wheels had started to come off for the Cavaliers as they suffered a three-game sweep at Notre Dame this weekend. And with UVA trailing Liberty 4-0 halfway through Tuesday midweek contest, Virginia's entire season threatened to go into a tailspin. 

Instead, No. 13 Virginia showed some impressive resilience, using a big five-run seventh inning to erase the deficit and earn a hard-fought 7-4 victory over Liberty on Tuesday night at Disharoon Park. 

Liberty's pitching staff put on a dazzling display through the first half of the game, keeping the high-powered UVA hitters off-balance. Trey Cooper and Ryan Butler combined to throw five perfect innings to start the game, retiring the first 15 Cavalier batters in a row. 

Virginia starter Connelly Early was almost as good, giving up just one baserunner in the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, a throwing error by Jake Gelof put Liberty's Brayden Horton on second base with no outs. Early managed to strike out the next two batters, but then Gray Betts hit a single into right field, scoring Horton for the game's first run. 

UVA nearly tied things up in the bottom of the fifth, but Ethan Anderson's deep fly ball to left field was robbed by an incredible leaping catch over the wall by Liberty left fielder Kane Kepley. 

The Flames added to their lead in the top of the sixth as Betts scored Horton again with an RBI single to right field and then Cam Foster hit a two-run single to center field to give Liberty a 4-0 advantage. That spelled the end of the outing for Early, as Evan Blanco came in and got a strikeout to end the inning. 

Anthony Stephan finally broke up Liberty's perfect game with a line drive down the right field line for a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth. After a couple of line-outs, Stephan moved to third base on a passed ball and then scored on a Griff O'Ferrall grounder that the Liberty shortstop couldn't quite field cleanly. The unearned run got the Cavaliers on the board, but Ethan O'Donnell grounded out to keep the deficit at 4-1. 

After Blanco set the Flames down in order in the top of the seventh, the rally began in the bottom half of the inning. Jake Gelof battled back from an 0-2 count to work a leadoff walk, but was retired at second base on a fielder's choice grounder from Kyle Teel. Ethan Anderson hit a line drive into right field and Casey Saucke drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Anthony Stephan then walked to bring in a run. 

Liberty switched pitchers, but Henry Godbout sent a hard-hit ball into center field for a game-tying two-run single. After a strikeout from Colin Tuft, Griff O'Ferrall hit a bouncing grounder that the Liberty third baseman couldn't get his glove on. The ball scooted into left field for a single and two more runs scored to put Virginia on top. O'Donnell struck out swinging to end the inning, but the damage was done as the Cavaliers took a 6-4 lead. 

Blanco recorded back-to-back strikeouts to start the eighth and then Brian O'Connor made the switch to bring in Kevin Jaxel, who gave up a two-out triple to Jalyen Guy, but got Betts to ground out to third to end the inning. 

Jake Gelof led off the bottom of the eighth with a blooper that went off the glove of the Liberty center fielder, allowing Gelof to stretch it into a double. A wild pitch allowed Gelof to move to third and eventually, he came home on a two-out double to right field from Anthony Stephan to give Virginia a big insurance run. 

Jay Woolfolk entered the game in the ninth and needed just 14 pitches to retire the side in order and secure his sixth save of the season as UVA brought home the gritty 7-4 win. Evan Blanco was credited with his first victory after pitching two scoreless innings and striking out five batters. 

Griff O'Ferrall went 2 for 4 with three RBI and Anthony Stephan and Henry Godbout had two RBI apiece. 

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Cavaliers, who improve to 33-9 on the season. Virginia will be right back at it on Wednesday at 6pm against Towson at Disharoon Park. 

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