Olivia Taylor/Virginia Athletics
Teel's Career Night Powers No. 13 Virginia to 13-4 Win Over Towson
Last Tuesday, Ethan Anderson became the first Cavalier in a decade to record five hits in a game. It took only eight days for another UVA batter to repeat that feat. Kyle Teel set a career-high with five hits, generating two RBI and three runs scored to lead No. 13 Virginia to a 13-4 win over Towson on Wednesday night at Disharoon Park.
In a secheduled bullpen day for Virginia, Cullen McKay got the start on the mound. McKay got a double play after surrendering a leadoff walk in the top of the first, but then gave up a solo home run to Reyce Curnane to give Towson an early 1-0 lead.
The UVA bats got to Towson starter Shayne Clowar early on as well. Ethan O'Donnell and Kyle Teel each hit singles to put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the first. Ethan Anderson popped out to center field to apparently end the inning, but it turned out Clowar was called for a balk on the pitch, allowing Teel to score from third. Anderson made the most of his second chance, singling to right field to score Teel and then he scored on a base hit from Casey Saucke to give the Cavaliers a 3-1 advantage.
Harrison Didawick and Griff O'Ferrall hit back-to-back singles to start the second and then O'Donnell was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kyle Teel came up with a base hit to right field to bring in two runs to make it 5-1.
McKay gave up a leadoff walk to start the third and was replaced by Bradley Hodges, who gave up a walk, but then induced a double play. Curnane came up to the plate and followed up his earlier home run with an RBI single up the middle, a run which was charged to McKay.
UVA got that run back in the third and then some as Anthony Stephan hit a leadoff single and Luke Hanson got on base with a perfectly placed bunt. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and then Stephan came home on a sacrifice fly from Harrison Didawick. Griff O'Ferrall brought in Hanson with a single to left field to push the Virginia lead to 7-2.
Hodges pitched a 1-2-3 fourth and then got into trouble in the fifth, walking three batters to load the bases with two outs. UVA brought in Chase Hungate, but Bryce Frederick turned on Hungate's first pitch and laced it into right field for a two-run single, making it a 7-4 ball game.
UVA responded in the bottom of the sixth as Kyle Teel delivered his fourth hit in as many at-bats, a line drive down the left field line for a leadoff double. Teel quickly came around to score on a single from Ethan Anderson.
Angelo Tonas entered the game in the seventh and gave up a two-out walk and a double to Curnane to put runners on second and third, but Tonas managed to get Frederick to popout to Hanson at second base to get out of the inning with no damage done.
Clinging to a decent but fallible 8-4 lead, the Cavaliers put the nail in the coffin with a big five-run eighth inning. Jake Gelof started things off with a single and then Teel completed his 5 for 5 evening with a double to give UVA runners on second and third with no outs. Ethan Anderson delivered a double down the right field line to score two runs and then Saucke singled to score Anderson. Chris Baker and Luke Hanson drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and then Colin Tuft hit a two-run single to left field. Justin Rubin grounded into a double play, but another run scored to give the Cavaliers an insurmountable 13-4 lead.
Jay Woolfolk came on in the ninth and hit the first batter he faced and then walked the next on four pitches before flipping a switch and striking out the next three batters on nine pitches to secure the win.
Kyle Teel went 5 for 5 for the first time in his career with two doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored. Ethan Anderson went 3 for 4 with four RBI and two runs scored. UVA had 19 hits in the game as a team.
With the victory, Virginia remains unbeaten in non-conference play at 22-0 and improves to 34-9 overall. Up next, UVA hosts a pivotal three-game series against No. 20 Duke this weekend beginning with game 1 on Friday at 8pm at Disharoon Park.
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