Virginia's 9th Inning Rally Comes Up Short in 12-10 Loss at Virginia Tech

The Commonwealth Clash will be decided in game 3. 

Trailing by six runs entering the ninth inning, the Cavaliers made a final stand with four runs in their last turn at the plate, but the rally came up short as Virginia Tech evened the series with a 12-10 victory over No. 5 Virginia on Saturday night in Blacksburg. 

UVA jumped on the board first with an RBI single from Kyle Teel, but offense was not the problem for the Cavaliers, who put up 10 runs on 16 hits. The issue was the Virginia pitching staff, which had its worst performance of the season on Saturday. 

With the injury to Nick Parker, Virginia moved midweek starter Connelly Early to the weekend rotation. Early did not have his best stuff right from the jump, as he hit the first batter he faced and then gave up a two-run homer to Jack Hurley and an RBI single to Brody Donay as the Hokies went in front 3-1. Things only got worse for Early in the bottom of the second, as he surrendered four walks, a single, a double and three more runs to Virginia Tech. 

In the top of the third, Harrison Didawick, Griff O'Ferrall, and Ethan O'Donnell hit three-consecutive singles to start the inning to load the bases with no outs. Jake Gelof came up with the opportunity to change the game with one swing, but Virginia Tech starter Griffin Green managed to get Gelof to ground into a double play. Kyle Teel came up next and delivered a home run to left center field, bringing in two more runs to make it 6-4. 

The Hokies fired back with three more runs in the bottom half of the inning, as neither Jacob Hodorovich nor Angelo Tonas could contain the Virginia Tech offense. In the bottom of the fourth, Garrett Michel hit a solo homer and Jack Hurley added an RBI single to make it 11-4. 

After squandering his chance with the bases loaded earlier, Jake Gelof came up in the top of the fifth and absolutely demolished a ball that disappeared into the sky and landed well beyond the wall in left field for a two-run homer. As was the case all game, though, the Hokies responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Michel. 

The score remained 12-6 from there as neither team scored in the sixth, seventh, or eighth innings. Bradley Hodges and Cullen McKay did well to quell the Virginia Tech bats over the course of those three innings. 

The Hoos put on their rally caps in the top of the ninth, as Didawick and O'Ferrall hit back-to-back singles to start the inning. Ethan O'Donnell laced a double down the left field line to score Didawick and then Gelof came just a couple of feet away from hitting his second home run of the game, instead doubling off the wall in left center to score O'Donnell and O'Ferrall. A groundout from Kyle Teel moved Gelof to third and another groundout from Ethan Anderson brought Gelof home to make it 12-10, but the Cavaliers were down to their final out. Luke Hanson hit a single to keep it going, but Virginia Tech's Jonah Hurney managed to strike out Casey Saucke to end the game. 

The Virginia pitching staff gave up 13 hits, eight walks, and 11 earned runs, which offset a solid offensive night for the Cavaliers. The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak for UVA, which falls to 24-3 overall and 8-3 in ACC play. Virginia will look to bounce back and clinch the series and a point in the 2022-2023 Commonwealth Clash in game 3 on Sunday at 1pm. 

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