Virginia Baseball Opens Season with 2-1 Victory

The Hoos kicked off their 2021 baseball season with a 2-1 over the Connecticut Huskies behind a terrific start by Andrew Abbott. The Senior was making just his fourth start for the Wahoos and first as the staff’s number one Friday starter.

Abbott pitched 5.2 innings, giving up no runs, only two hits, one walk, and a career-high nine strike outs. He was masterful at getting out of tough jams, coming up with a ground ball for a double play or strike out just when the Huskies were threatening.

It was a classic pitchers duel as Husky starter Ben Casparius matched Abbott pitch for pitch. The junior transfer from North Carolina also pitched 5.2 innings, gave up two runs (both earned) on four hits, one walk, and struck out six.

After Abbott pitched out of a jam in the first, Virginia scored in the bottom half of the inning when Logan Michaels took a Casparius fastball right off the helmet with the bases loaded. They’d leave the bases loaded however and not score again until the third inning when Marc Lebreux scored on an Alex Tappen ground out.

Abbott gave way to Paul Kosanovich in the sixth who pitched 1.1 innings striking out three Huskies but did surrender a solo home run to UConn’s Reggie Crawford. Kyle Whitten pitched a perfect eighth while Stephen Schoch struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn the save.

The Virginia bats were cold all day with only three different Cavaliers notching hits. Zach Geloff led the way with two hits while Nic Kent and Lebreux each had one.

The two teams are back at it Saturday at 1 PM. Griff McGarry will take the mound for the Hoos and the game will televised by ACCNX.