Savino and Cavaliers put together complete game to win Game 2 of the Greenville Regional

After a disappointing 0-2 performance last weekend in Charlotte for the ACC Tournament that assured UVA wouldn’t host a regional this weekend in the NCAA Tournament, the Hoos had a lot to prove on Friday night in their opening round game against Coastal Carolina.

They responded with one of most complete performances they’ve had in quite sometime.

Nate Savino took the rubber and put the team on his back holding the Chanticleers to just 5 hits and 2 unearned runs over 6.1 innings. Savino pitched so well he only faced more than four batters in an inning once during his outing and that was in the 2nd inning after back to back throwing errors forced him to face 6 batters in the inning.

Jay Woolfolk relieved Savino in the 7th and while the freshman did get hit rather hard, he came away unscathed allowing only two hits and a walk in his 1.2 innings. Matt Wyatt would come on in the 9th and would strike out the side on just 11 pitches.

At the plate Jake Gelof, Kyle Teel, and Casey Saucke carried the Cavaliers amassing two RBI each. Saucke and Teel starting the UVA scoring binge in the third with back to back hits with two outs to push across the third and fourth runs for the Cavaliers.

Gelof, Tell, and Saucke would lift the UVA offense again in the fifth after Alex Tappen would start the inning with a double. Gelof would follow suit with a single, Teel would get on base thanks to a Coastal fielding error, and Casey Saucke would put the cherry on top with a double, scoring Gelof.

With great pitching and timely hitting, the Hoos also turned in a stellar fielding night. Alex Tappen would make multiple diving catches in the outfield to erase Coastal threats.

Jake Gelof was also not only stellar at the plate but in the field as well and robbed a 2 out, bases loaded single that kept Coastal off the scoreboard further.

With the win UVA stays in the driver’s seat in the Greenville Regional advancing in the winner’s bracket. Host East Carolina defeated Coppin State 17-2 earlier in the day so the Hoos will face off against the Pirates at 7 PM on Saturday night with the winner advancing to the championship game of the regional to be held on Sunday.