No. 11 Virginia completes series sweep of North Carolina

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

No. 11 Virginia (31-10, 13-8 ACC) scored seven runs in the first two innings in a 10-3 victory over North Carolina (23-17, 8-13 ACC) on Sunday at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers recorded their second ACC sweep of the season and first over the Tar Heels since 2015.

Graduate student Alex Tappen, the third batter of the game, ignited the potent UVA attack with a two-run homer to left center. It was his second of the weekend and 10th of the season. The Cavaliers poured on five runs in the bottom half of the second to open up a 7-0 advantage after two innings. It marked 21st time this season UVA has scored five or more runs in a single inning.

On the mound Jake Berry tossed five innings and allowed just one earned run. The lefty fanned six batters while walking one and recorded his fifth win of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Already up 2-0 after the Tappen blast, Virginia erupted for five runs in the second inning without an extra-base hit. All seven hits in the frame were singles. UVA got run-scoring hits from Max Cotier, Griff O’Ferrall and Jake Gelof. The big inning drove North Carolina starting pitcher Kyle Mott out of the ball game after just one inning.
• Two of the three North Carolina runs came with two outs. Mac Horvath got the Tar Heels on the board with a solo homer to left in the third inning. An earned run came across in the sixth before Alberto Osuna scored on a two-out double in the eighth.
• The Cavaliers capped the day with two runs in the eighth. Teel doubled home Griff O’Ferrall who led off the inning with bunt single. Teel eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Gelof, the 10th run of the day for UVA.

UP NEXT: Virginia will have two games in the midweek before hosting Virginia Tech next weekend at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers will travel to ODU on Tuesday (April 26) for the second game of the midweek season series against the Monarchs. UVA will be back at home on Wednesday (April 27) to host George Mason.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Tappen went 7-for-14 (.500) with a double, two home runs, five runs scored and five RBI in the three-game series. Sunday was his 201st game as a Cavalier, the 11th most in program history.
• Seven of the nine batters in the UVA lineup had put together multi-hit efforts, led by Anderson who matched a season-high with three hits.
• Brian O’Connor passed former North Carolina head coach Mike Roberts for eighth place on the ACC’s overall wins list with his 781st career victory.
• Virginia improved to 23-2 at home this season and have scored 10 or more runs in 18 of the 25 home games this year.
• Coming into the weekend, North Carolina had won the last four series against Virginia. The sweep of the Tar Heels is the third in the O’Connor era (2010, 2015, 2022). Under O’Connor, the Cavaliers are 30-30 against North Carolina.