Virginia Blanks Duke 6-0 to Start the ACC off Right

Connor Jones took to the hill Friday night looking to get his team off to a hot start in the ACC opener. Eight scoreless innings later and the Hoos are 1-0 in the ACC. Jones was once again masterful going eight strong, scattering seven hits, and striking out three. The key to his outing though was his command. He didn't issue a single on the night and though he gave up seven hits, didn't allow a single Blue Devil to advance past second base.

Jones and Duke starter Bailey Clark traded scoreless innings through the first three, until in the top of the fourth, after Matt Thaiss earned a lead off walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Nate Eikhoff delivered a two-out single to score Thaiss and give the Hoos a 1-0 lead. Following a three up, three down, bottom of the fourth, the Hoos would break it open when Thaiss mashed a two-out three-run bomb to right scoring Ernie Clement and Adam Haseley. The Cavaliers would score again in the sixth and eighth with Daniel Pinero coming across both times. With a comfortable 6-0 lead, Jones handed the game over to Kevin Doherty who pitched a scoreless ninth striking out two to preserve the win

Ryan Karstetter led the way with three hits for the Hoos and Haseley and Clement chipped in two hits apiece. Pinero and Thaiss led the scoring each coming across the place twice and Thaiss provided the monster shot to tally three RBI.

These teams are back at it tomorrow at 1 p.m from Durham. First year Daniel Lynch (1-1, 4.76 ERA) will take the mound for the Hoos against the Blue Devils' lefty Trent Swart (1-0, 0.56 ERA).