Cavaliers Now

No. 19 Virginia Finishes Sweep Over Boston College With 16-8 Win

The Cavaliers put up 34 runs on the Eagles in the last two games of the series

Dylan Castagne

After needing a some late-game heroics to get past the Eagles in game 1 on Friday, the Cavaliers put up a combined 34 runs in games 2 and 3 to complete the sweep over Boston College. 

On an overcast Sunday afternoon in Charlottesville, it was the Virginia offense that shined the brightest in the series finale. For the 13th time this season, UVA hitters put up double-digit runs on the board in a 16-8 victory over BC. 

Virginia’s batting lineup picked up right where it left off from Saturday. In the bottom of the first, Kyle Teel singled and Devin Ortiz got on board with an error. Jake Gelof singled to score Teel, notching his team-leading 45th RBI of the season. Then, the next batter, Alex Tappen, singled to bring home Ortiz for the second run of the game.

The scoring didn’t stop there for the Cavaliers, as they put up another four runs in the bottom of the third inning. The first two batters of the inning reached base, leaving Alex Tappen another RBI opportunity. The graduate outfielder delivered, bringing home the third run of the game with a single. Tappen had a career day on Sunday, going 4-4 with six RBIs, headlined by a two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Tappen attributes his team’s strong start to the season to a change in mindset. "Last year, we didn’t do any of the punching, we just took the punches from the pitchers," Tappen said after the game. "We didn’t make adjustments when we needed to. But this year, especially, it just seems that there’s a collective approach of being aggressive and people jumping over the best pitch in the at-bat.”

After an RBI single by Chris Newell, the Cavaliers led 6-0 heading into the top of the fourth inning.

While Boston College did not have a single hit or run up to this point, Boston College second-baseman Luke Gold changed that with a single swing of the bat, sending a solo home-run to left-center field, giving the Eagles their first run of the game.

Not wanting to be outdone by his teammate, Jake Gelof answered in the next inning, smashing a two-run home-run 422 feet to left center field, for his NCAA-leading 12th home run of the season, increasing Virginia’s lead to 8-1.

Trailing by seven runs and looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers, Boston College refused to go down without a fight. The Eagles would score three runs in the fifth, thanks to an RBI single by Cameron Leary, followed by a two-RBI triple for Luke Gold, bringing the Eagles to within four runs.

However, whenever the Cavaliers were in need of insurance runs, the offense delivered. UVA piled on three runs in the fifth and then another five runs in the eighth to put down the Eagles for good, 16-8.

On the other side of the diamond, the Cavalier pitching staff struggled in the series finale against Boston College. While starter Brandon Neeck got off to a hot start with no hits through three innings, he would end up surrendering four runs in his 4.2 innings of work. Virginia would use a total of five pitchers to defeat Boston College, with Matt Wyatt and Will Geerdes combining to throw two scoreless innings.

The Virginia batting lineup has been red-hot this season, especially at home, where the Cavaliers have yet to lose a game. The middle of the lineup was incredible for the Cavaliers on Sunday, combining to go 9-12 with 10 RBIs and 9 runs scored.

After the game, UVA head coach Brian O’Connor commended his hitters for their aggressive approaches throughout the game. “Our guys really believe in what they are doing and their approach at the plate," O'Connor said. 

With the win, the Cavaliers move to 19-1 (5-1 ACC) on the season and will look to extend their 18-game winning streak at home on Tuesday afternoon when they welcome Towson to Disharoon Park. Virginia then heads to Winston-Salem for a weekend series at Wake Forest. 

See more Virginia baseball news and content: Virginia Baseball on Sports Illustrated

See more Virginia sports news and content: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports Illustrated

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Dylan Castagne
DYLAN CASTAGNE

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