Virginia captures road series with 11-4 win at No. 6 Georgia Tech

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia scored in each of its last four turns at the plate in a 11-4 series-clinching win over No. 6 Georgia Tech on Saturday at Mac Nease Baseball Park.

The road series victory over a top-10 opponent was the Cavaliers’ first since taking down No. 1 Miami in 2016.

Virginia (13-14, 6-12 ACC) put an exclamation point on its first ACC series win of the year with six runs in the ninth inning. It was the second-straight day the Cavaliers scored five runs in an inning and the six runs were the biggest single inning output of the year. Virginia racked up 13 hits and scored 11 runs, both season-highs in ACC play.

Six of the nine Virginia batters put forth multi-hit efforts, led by junior Zack Gelof (Rehoboth Beach, Del.) who went 2-for-6 with a home run and a game-high three RBI. His solo shot in the seventh gave Virginia a 3-1 advantage.

Senior Devin Ortiz (Nutley, N.J.) continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate. He hit a two-run homer as part of Virginia’s six-run ninth. Ortiz has scored a run and reached base in seven-straight games.

Starting pitcher Mike Vasil (Wellesley, Mass.) pitched into the seventh inning and earned his staff-best, fourth victory of the season. The righthander struck out nine and did not walk a batter for the second-straight start. He was charged with two earned runs in 6.2 innings pitched and produced his fifth quality start of 2021.

Closer Stephen Schoch (Laurel, Md.) entered a two-run ball game in the bottom of the eighth and struck out the final batter of the inning with the tying run on base. An unearned run came across in the ninth but the sidearmer was credited with his fifth save of the 2021 season.

Reliever Brandon Neeck (Chappaqua, N.Y.) came on in the seventh in a 3-2 ball game with the tying run on second base. He got Georgia Tech’s Luke Waddell to fly out to left to end the threat. The lefty has not allowed a run in 6.2 innings pitched this season.

Sophomore Max Cotier (New Milford, Conn.) drove in a pair of runs in a 2-for-3 day at the plate. He plated the second Cavalier run of the afternoon with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and came up with an RBI single to cap a two-run eighth inning.

The Cavaliers return home Tuesday (April 6) for a midweek matchup against William & Mary before heading off to Clemson for a three-game series next weekend. First pitch at Disharoon Park on Tuesday is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the contest will air live on ACCNX.