Cavaliers split tight doubleheader with Pitt; rubber match Sunday

By Colin Moore
JerryRatcliffe.com correspondent

The Virginia baseball team split its doubleheader with visiting Pittsburgh on Saturday at Disharoon Park, rallying for a walkoff win in the opener before coming up short in the second game.

The series will be decided in Sunday’s finale, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. UVA’s Tomas Valincius (2-1) will get the start opposite Pitt righty Drew Lafferty (1-1).

In game one Saturday, the Hoos pulled out a come-from-behind victory in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth.

The action opened up in the first game in the fourth inning when Pitt scored two runs before the Cavaliers responded with four runs of their own.

The Panthers tacked on two more runs in the seventh, tying the score before taking the lead again in the ninth.

Virginia’s Henry Ford walked it off with a two-run shot over the left-field wall, earning the 7-5 Cavalier victory.

Jay Woolfolk went six innings with five strikeouts and gave up three runs before Matt Lanzendorfer came in to close the game, pitching the last two innings (striking out one and giving up one run).

Game two was just as exciting, with the Cavaliers’ comeback just falling short.

The Panthers opened up the scoring again, this time with a two-run home run in the second inning.

UVA got on the board after a single and some great base running by Chone James, who stole both second and third before eventually scoring off a Luke Hansen RBI single.

Controversy called at home after a great deep shot from Eric Becker, allowing Hansen to attempt to score. Unfortunately for the Hoos, a head-first sliding Hansen was called out at the plate to end the inning.

Pitt scored four runs in the fourth, forcing a UVA pitcher change. Evan Blanco finished his night after striking out three Panthers and allowing six runs.

Virginia’s Aidan Teel launched a two-run homer in the eighth to spark the hopes of another Cavalier comeback.

In the top of the ninth, the Panthers led the Hoos 8-5. UVA found itself in a deep hole with the bases loaded and zero outs. Alex Markus came into the match unfazed, however, striking out the next three Pitt batters.

Henry Godbout earned a leadoff double for a great start before his next two teammates flew out. Harrison Didwick was next up and launched a two run homer, pulling the Cavaliers within one. Hansen was next, looking to add to his RBI tally, but his routine pop fly brought an end to the long day.

ADDITIONAL NOTES
Courtesy UVA Media Relations

• On the year, Virginia is 9-3 when Aidan Teel bats leadoff for the Cavaliers.
• The game one victory was UVA’s 12th come-from-behind win of the season.
• Virginia’s five-run fourth in the series opener was the 10th time this season that the Cavaliers have scored five or more runs in an inning.
• Henry Ford extended this hit streak and on-base streaks to 12 and 17 games, respectively, on Saturday.
• In his five home starts this season, Jay Woolfolk has struck out 34 opposing batters in 28.1 innings pitched.
• Ford’s walk-off home run in game one was Virginia’s third walk-off win of the season and the first via the long ball.
• The walk-off homer was Virginia’s first since Didawick’s two-run blast against Virginia Tech on May 18, 2024.
• Didawick’s homer in game two was his second of the season and first since Feb. 28 against Dartmouth.