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Virginia Baseball Evens Series Against NC State With 9-5 Win in Game 2

Matthew Newton|
Joe Savino throws a pitch during the Virginia baseball game against NC State at Disharoon Park.
Joe Savino throws a pitch during the Virginia baseball game against NC State at Disharoon Park. | Virginia Athletics

Joe Savino threw five innings of one-run baseball, Henry Ford broke the UVA freshman home run record, and No. 10 Virginia (37-13, 15-11 ACC) tied the series with a 9-5 victory over No. 23 NC State (28-19, 14-11 ACC) on Saturday afternoon at Disharoon Park.

Though Joe Savino held the Wolfpack scoreless for the first four innings, he ran into some trouble in the top of the first, allowing a single, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk to load the bases before getting out of the jam with a fly-out.

The Virginia bats went down quietly in the first and second inning, but then got on the board in the bottom of the third, as Luke Hanson hit a one-out single and scored on a double from Griff O'Ferrall, who then came around to score on a Bobby Whalen RBI single. UVA tacked on another run in the fourth on an RBI double by Henry Godbout.

Savino retired 12-consecutive batters into the fifth inning, but then gave up back-to-back doubles to allow the Wolfpack to get on the board. That was the only run Savino gave up in his five innings of work.

Virginia responded in the bottom of the fifth, as Henry Ford hit a two-run home run and then Jacob Ference came up next and hit a solo homer of his own to make it 6-1.

Neither team scored in the sixth or seventh innings, then the Wolfpack put some serious pressure on the Cavaliers with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, scoring on a single and a fielder's choice to get back within three runs.

Once again, the UVA offense came up with an immediate answer, as Bobby Whalen hit a clutch two-out two-run single and then scored on a Casey Saucke double to push the Virginia lead back to 9-3.

Aidan Teel gave up a two-run home run to Garrett Pennington in the top of the ninth, but otherwise retired the side without issue to secure Virginia's 9-5 victory to tie the series up at one game apiece. Joe Savino was credited with the win, giving up just one earned run on three hits in five innings of work.

Bobby Whalen went 2 for 5 with three RBI and Henry Ford went 2 for 4 with two RBI and his 16th homer of the season, breaking the UVA freshman home run record held by Mark Reynolds since 2002. Four Cavaliers had multi-hit games, including Griff O'Ferrall and Casey Saucke, who each had three hits in the game.

Virginia will look to clinch the series over NC State in game 3 on Sunday at 1pm at Disharoon Park.

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Matt Newton
MATTHEW 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.

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