No. 10 Virginia Thumps Towson 15-3, Improves to 20-1 for First Time in Program History

The Cavaliers crushed the Tigers and are off to their best start in program history

Matt Newton | Mar 22, 2022

Twice in the 133-year history of the Virginia baseball program, the Cavaliers began the season 19-1. No UVA baseball team has ever started a season 20-1.

That changed on Tuesday as No. 10 Virginia crushed Towson 15-3 at Disharoon Park to improve its record to 20-1, the best start to a season in program history.

The Cavaliers wasted no time in taking control of the game, putting up six runs in the first and four runs in the second to take an early 10-0 lead.

Virginia had hit 40 home runs as a team through the first 20 games of the season, but the Cavaliers showed that they can score with some small ball in the bottom of the first inning. Towson starter Teddy Blumenauer struggled to find the zone early on and walked three of the first four batters. Alex Tappen scored Kyle Teel with a sacrifice fly and then Casey Saucke drove in Jake Gelof and Devin Ortiz with a single. Colin Tuft followed that up with an RBI single to right field and then Griff O'Ferrall brought home two more on another single. All together, the Cavaliers put six runs across the plate on just three hits.

Things did not get much better for the Tigers in the second inning, as Jake Gelof improved on his NCAA home run lead by hitting his 13th homer of the season, a solo shot to left field.

WE HAVE NO. 1️⃣3️⃣!#GoHoos | #RakeGelof | #Jake Rakes pic.twitter.com/TK6dt42mTw
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) March 22, 2022

Tuft picked up his second RBI of the day on a left field single to score Chris Newell and then Griff O'Ferrall hit a two-run double down the right field line to give the Cavaliers double-digit runs for the 15th time this season.

Freshman Matthew Buchanan got the start on the mound for the Cavaliers and pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four batters.

Towson got on the board with an RBI double by Chandler Castleberry in the bottom of the fifth, but that would be the only run for the Tigers until the top of the ninth, when they added two runs.

UVA struck back with five more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Casey Saucke drove in Gelof with a triple to right field and then scored on a single from Tuft. Justin Rubin came up next and sent a ball over the left field wall for his first-career home run.

HOME RUN!!! First career 💣 for Justin Rubin!

It's 14-1 UVA in the 6th!#GoHoos | 📺: ACCNX pic.twitter.com/ujFpxzxah3
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) March 22, 2022

Max Cotier doubled and came around to score on a single from Kyle Teel to make it 15-1. Devin Ortiz, Alex Greene, Jacob Hodorovich, Mason Dillow, and Avery Mabe each pitched one inning in relief for the Cavaliers, who went on to win 15-3.

Virginia (20-1, 5-1 ACC) heads to Winston-Salem for a three-game series at Wake Forest this weekend. Game 1 is set to begin at 6pm on Friday.

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