Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics
UVA Bats Quieted in Second-Straight Loss, Pitt Claims Series With 6-4 Win
UVA came into the weekend leading the country in hits with an average of more than 12 hits per game. But behind an incredible performance from Pitt starter Logan Evans, the Panthers managed to hold the Cavalier bats in check and Pittsburgh beat No. 7 Virginia for the second-straight night in a series-clinching 6-4 victory on Saturday night at Disharoon Park.
Based on the way the game started, it seemed the Cavaliers were primed for a major bounce-back game after ceding game 1 to the Panthers 7-5 on Friday night. In the bottom of the first inning, Griff O'Ferrall took the first pitch he saw from Logan Evans into the gap in left center field for a leadoff double. Ethan O'Donnell worked a full-count walk, giving an early golden opportunity for the man with the hottest bat in all of college baseball. Jake Gelof delivered again, hitting a three-run home run to left field, his seventh homer in the last seven games.
When describing what happened to the UVA offense after the early Gelof home run, Brian O'Connor simply said, "After that, we couldn't do anything." Evans proceeded to retire the next eight UVA batters he faced and allowed just two baserunners through the next five innings.
Meanwhile, Virginia starter Nick Parker gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases with one out in the top of the third. Noah Martinez drove in two runs with a single and then Kyle Hess hit another RBI single to tie the game.
After a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, the Panthers took the lead in the sixth as Jake Berry walked one batter, hit another, and then gave up an RBI single down the left field line to Jack Anderson. Pitt tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh as Hess and Justin Acal hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with one out. The Cavaliers then got a tough break as Johnny Long III laid down a bunt and Jake Berry lost his footing and fell down hard while trying to field the ball. That allowed a run to score and Berry was unfit to continue, so UVA brought in Chase Hungate. Another infield play went the way of the Panthers after that as a grounder from Anthony LaSala appeared to be the final out of the inning, but UVA second baseman Henry Godbout collided with Caleb Sturtevant as he ran from first to second and the ball came dislodged from Godbout's glove. That allowed another run to score, making it 6-3, and Godbout exited the game with an injury.
Evans tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning to conclude his outstanding outing with a final line of three earned runs on four hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings of work. Kyle Teel hit a two-out double down the right field line off of Pitt reliever Dylan Simmons, but Simmons got Ethan Anderson to ground out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Stephan hammered a wall off of the 2015 National Champions sign in right field for his first-career home run, giving the Cavaliers a glimpse of hope as he cut the deficit to 6-4.
With no outs in the ninth, UVA needed just one more baserunner to put some serious pressure on Pitt closer Nash Bryan. Instead, Casey Saucke flied out to left field and then Bryan struck out Chris Baker and Travis Reifsnider looking to end the game.
The loss gives the Cavaliers their first home series loss in nearly a full calendar year and just their second ACC series loss of the season. Now 30-6 overall and 11-6 in ACC play, Virginia will look to get back on track and salvage the series in game 3 on Sunday at 1pm at Disharoon Park. The series finale will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
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