Bats come alive as Hoos sweep Boston College

The Virginia Cavaliers continued their winning ways over the weekend coming up with a sweep of the Boston College Eagles. The Hoos needed extra innings on Friday night, but left no doubt with 18-1 and 16-8 victories on Saturday and Sunday. The hot offense continued as well with Virginia batters smacking 43 hits that led to 41 runs. Oh, and it didn’t hurt that the Hoos hit eleven home runs.

Friday: Virginia 7 - Boston College 6 (10 Innings)

As they’ve done almost all year, Virginia got things started early scoring a run in the bottom of the first when Griff O’Ferrall manufactured himself a score. The freshman walked, stole second, advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice by Devin Ortiz. They’d add another in the second with a home run by Casey Saucke and two more runs in the third thanks to a pair of solo home runs by O’Ferrall and Ortiz. Kyle Teel came up with a home run of his own in the fifth giving the Hoos a 6-1 lead.

Nate Savino was great once again working 6.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits, one walk while striking out eight. He’d leave the game in the seventh staking the Hoos to a 5-3 lead.

Boston College would get three runs in the eighth to take a 6-5 lead. They chased Jay Woolfolk from the game after the freshman gave up a walk and hit by pitch. Jake Berry came on to spell Woolfolk and immediately gave up a three-run home run to Parker Landwehr. Virgina would tie it up in the bottom half though when Ortiz led off with a single, moved to third on a double by Jake Gelof, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Tappen.

After neither team threatened in the ninth, Will Geerdes retired the Eagles in order setting up some extra inning fireworks. Teel walked and moved to second on a bunt by Ortiz. Gelof was intentionally walked and Tappen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That brought up Chris Newell who ripped a 2-2 pitch to deep right center, a blast that easily carried the outfielders playing in (to cut off a run) and the celebration began.

Saturday: Virginia 18 - Boston College 1

After eeking out the win on Friday, the Hoos left no doubt coming up with 16 hits and taking advantage of four Boston College errors to clinch the series 18-1.

Virginia got all the runs they’d need when they sent 12 men to the plate in an eight run bottom of the second inning. Saucke got things started with a walk and scored on a double by Ethan Anderson, After Max Cotier walked, O’Ferrall reached on a throwing error. That loaded the bases for Teel who immediately emptied them with a grand slam, his third grand slam of the year. Virginia wasn’t done though, as Ortiz walked and scored when Gelof blasted a home run of his own giving the Hoos a 7-0 lead. They’d finish out the inning when Newell walked and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. He’d then score when Saucke reached on an error by Eagle third baseman, Patrick Roche.

The Hoos got three more in the fifth thanks to an RBI single by Ortiz that scored Teel and a two run home run by Gelof which scored Ortiz, his second big knock of the day. Tappen got in on the home run action in the seventh when his three-run shot scored Ortiz and Teel. The Cavaliers capped off the scoring in style when Newell blasted a grand slam to right scoring Justin Rubin, Teel, and Anthony Stephan.

While he got all the run support he needed, Brian Gursky was great on the mound and ran his record to 5-0. He pitched six innnings, gave up only one earned run on four hits, with only one walk and he struck out six Eagles. Dylan Bowers gave up a single hit and no run in two innings of work while Paul Kosanovich closed things out with neat and tidy 1-2-3 ninth.

Sunday: Virginia 18 - Boston College - 6

The hits kept on coming Sunday as Virginia went for the sweep. Virginia scored first with Gelof and Tappen coming up with RBI singles scoring Teel and Ortiz in the bottom of the first. They’d add four more runs in the third with Tappen, Newell, and Rubin all driving in runs and Tappen scoring by stealing home on a steal of second by Newell.

After Boston College’s Luke Gold hit a solo home run in the fourth to get Boston College on the board, Gelof returned the favor with a big fly of his own, a two run shot that scored Ortiz.

The Eagles made it a game picking up three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to get within three runs 8-5. But Virginia answered in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a Tappen two-RBI single that scored Ortiz and Gelof and a triple by Saucke that scored Tappen making the score 11-5.

Cameron Leary added a three-run home run in the eighth, but the Hoos got those runs back and more by putting up a four spot in the bottom half of the inning. Tappen hit his second home run of the weekend scoring Gelof and Stephan knocked a double that scored Newell before Rubin reached on an error allowing Saucke and Stephan to score.

On the mound, Brandon Neeck only managed to go 4.2 innings giving up four earned runs on six hits, no walks, and three strikeouts. Woolfolk came on in the fifth and gave up one run on two hits with one strikeout while picking up the win. Matt Wyatt pitched a scoreless inning before giving way to Berry. Berry gave up three earned runs on three hits in his one inning of work before Geerdes came in to close things out and seal the W.

While Hoos offense was clicking on all cylinders, it was the middle of the lineup that did the damage. Teel, Ortiz, Gelof, and Tappen all had at least six hits with Gelof leading they way with seven hits on the weekend. The Cavalier bats knocked eleven home runs, with Gelof leading the way with three and Teel and Tappen both hitting a pair. Tappen led the team team with ten RBI, Gelof had seven, and Newell batted in six runs. Behind the quartet in the middle of the lineup, Saucke chipped in four hits.

Virginia hosts Towson at 4:00 EDT on Tuesday in Charlottesville, before heading to Winston-Salem for a three-game set with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons over the weekend. That’s going to be must see TV as the teams could combine for a jillion home runs.