Cavaliers Now

Homers From Teel and Wells Lift Virginia Baseball Past Minnesota 4-2

Matt Newton

Virginia Athletic

Reasonable concerns about the offense were not quelled and criticisms that this looks nothing like a top five team in the country right now are still justified, but a win is a win. After suffering a humbling 7-2 loss to No. 7 Oregon State on Friday, No. 2 Virginia (3-2) relied on a steady all-around showing from its pitching staff and a couple of clutch home runs from Aidan Teel and Trey Wells to rally past Minnesota (1-4) for a 4-2 victory on Saturday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.

Bryson Moore got the start on the mound for the Cavaliers and retired the side in order in the top of the first inning, stranded a runner on third in the second, and worked around a leadoff walk in the third. Unfortunately for Moore, the UVA bats didn't do anything in those first three innings either and then it was the Gophers who struck first with a two-out, two-run single by Jack Spanier in the top of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead.

Virginia responded in the bottom half of the inning, as Henry Ford ripped one down the left field line for a two-out double and then Aidan Teel smacked a single into left center to get the Cavaliers on the board. After a scoreless fifth frame, Teel came up with another big swing in the sixth. Ford again got on base with a two-out hit and then Teel turned on a 3-1 pitch and crushed a line drive that had enough altitude to get over the wall in right field in a hurry for a two-run home run to put Virginia in front 3-2.

Matt Lanzendorfer replaced Moore on the mound for Virginia and struck out five batters across the sixth and seventh innings to keep the Gophers at two on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the seventh, Division II Wayne State College transfer Trey Wells made a big play in his Cavalier debut, perfectly timing up a 1-1 curveball and smoking it to left field for a solo home run, a crucial piece of insurance to make it 4-2 UVA.

Wells then showed what he brings to the table from the catcher position in the top of the eighth, throwing out a runner stealing second base. Ryan Osinski gave up two walks and a single in that eighth frame but was able to escape the inning unscathed and then worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to secure UVA's 4-2 victory and earned his first save in a Virginia uniform.

Though the long balls from Teel and Wells were pivotal, the UVA pitching staff should get the lion's share of the credit for this victory. Virginia held Minnesota to two runs on six hits and struck out 12 batters, including six from Bryson Moore in his five-inning start and then five strikeouts from Matt Lanzendorfer, who got those five K's despite facing only seven total batters and was credited with the win.

As for the Virginia bats, there is still little to no consistency and what was considered one of the deepest batting orders in the country heading into the season has looked far from it through the first five games. UVA managed eight hits, but those eight hits came from just four players as the rest of the lineup went hitless.

Virginia will conclude the Karbach Round Rock Classic against Oklahoma on Sunday at 5pm ET.

More Virginia Baseball News

UVA Baseball: Cavalier Bats Thwarted in 7-2 Loss to No. 7 Oregon State

Tomas Valincius Throws 10 Ks, Virginia Baseball Beats Rice 7-0

UVA Baseball Beats Villanova 3-1 for First Win of Season

Virginia Baseball Drops Opener to Michigan 5-4 in 11 Innings

Virginia Baseball Roster Preview: Projected Lineup, Pitching Rotation

Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.