Baseball: No. 14 Virginia takes series at Boston College with 4-0 shutout

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Five pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout as No. 14 Virginia picked up the series victory Boston College with a 4-0 victory on Saturday. The Cavaliers recorded their third shutout of the season and the first against an ACC opponent since blanking NC State on March 17, 2023.

Starting pitcher Joe Savino turned in his longest outing of the season, allowing one hit over four scoreless frames. Relievers Angelo Tonas (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO), Aidan Teel (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO), Blake Barker (0.1 IP, 1 H) and Chase Hungate (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) kept the Eagles off the remainder of the game.

Bobby Whalen drove in two runs and was 2 for 4 at the plate. He made a diving play in center field to help Teel get out of the sixth inning unscathed. Whalen was 3 for 7 with three runs scored, two RBI and reached base a total of eight times in the three-game set. Casey Saucke plated the other two UVA runs in a 1-for-3 effort at the plate.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Whalen plated the first UVA run on an RBI groundout in the top of the third that allowed Henry Godbout to score the first of his two runs on the day. Saucke followed with a scorching line drive up the middle to give UVA (33-12, 14-10 ACC) a 2-0 advantage.

Savino retired the final five batters he faced and retired the Eagles (21-21, 8-16) in order in the second and fourth innings.

Whalen came through for the Hoos again in the fifth dropping a single into to center that scored Godbout. Saucke plated the fourth UVA run with a sacrifice fly to right field in which Luke Hanson was able to score easily to put UVA up 4-0.

Whalen also contributed in a big way defensively recording the second out of the sixth inning with a diving catch in right center, robbing Nick Wang of a base hit. Teel struck out the final batter of the frame for a 1-2-3 inning.

In Boston College’s biggest threat of the afternoon, Teel ended the seventh inning with his second strikeout to strand to Eagle runners in scoring position.

For the second-straight day, Hungate got the final five outs to clinch UVA’s fifth ACC series win of the season. Hungate logged 3.1 scoreless innings, allowed one hit and struck out one in back-to-back appearances against BC.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia improved to 3-2 in ACC rubber games this season.
• Savino, Teel, Barker and Hungate have pitched in two of UVA’s three shutouts this season.
• Tonas was credited with his second win of the season and is 6-0 in two seasons with the Cavaliers.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers continue their four-game road stint on Tuesday when they play VCU at The Diamond in Richmond before returning home Wednesday for a 6 p.m. matchup against Navy.