No. 14 Virginia Baseball Routs George Washington 20-5

It didn't take long for the Virginia baseball team to return to its winning ways.

After suffering their first loss of the season over the weekend in a shutout defeat at North Carolina, but still winning the road ACC series against the Tar Heels, the Cavaliers quickly bounced back by putting 20 runs on the board on 17 hits as No. 14 Virginia (15-1) routed George Washington 20-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Disharoon Park.

UVA scored runs in six of its eight innings at the plate and scored at least four runs in four separate innings. It started right away as Ethan O'Donnell doubled and came around to score on an error for the game's first run. Ethan Anderson hit an RBI single and Henry Godbout hit a two-run double to give UVA a 4-0 lead after one.

Virginia added another run in the bottom of the second as Ethan O'Donnell smashed a ball deep to right center field that went off the Pepsi sign on the scoreboard for his fifth home run of the season.

🚀 LIFTOFF 🚀

Ethan O'Donnell banks one off the scoreboard in RF! It's 5-0 UVA! #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/g7mqjFSq9S
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) March 14, 2023

Virginia piled on with four more runs in the bottom of the third on a Justin Rubin sacrifice fly, a Griff O'Ferrall RBI single, and a two-run single from O'Donnell, who had a spectacular day at the plate, going 4 for 4 with three RBI and three runs scored.

Connelly Early started on the mound for the Cavaliers and pitched three scoreless innings, surrendering four hits and striking out three batters before UVA decided to give its bullpen some work. Evan Blanco pitched a scoreless fourth inning, but then Cullen McKay entered the game in the fifth and struggled to get settled in, giving up an RBI single and then a bases-clearing double with the bases loaded to make it 9-4.

The Virginia bats responded in turn, as Kyle Teel drew a walk with the bases loaded and then Casey Saucke cleared the bases with a double to center field. Another run came home on an Ethan Anderson groundout.

Chase Hungate got the final out of the fifth inning and then worked a scoreless sixth for the Cavaliers, who then added four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Colin Tuft and Chris Baker each hit RBI singles and Anthony Stephan doubled to score another run.

Bradley Hodges gave up a run to the Colonials in the top of the seventh and then the Cavaliers scored twice in their next at-bat on a single from Tuft and an RBI groundout from Travis Reifsnider. Matthew Buchanan pitched a scoreless eighth and Kevin Jaxel retired the side in order in the ninth to seal Virginia's 20-5 victory.

This marks the third time this season that Virginia has topped the 20-run mark in a game, matching a program record. The last time UVA had three 20-run games in a season was 1905.

Now 15-1 on the season, Virginia heads back down to North Carolina for a three-game road series at No. 23 NC State. Game 1 is set for Thursday at 7pm in Raleigh and will air on the ACC Network.

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