Cavaliers plate 10 runs in series finale against No. 15 Pitt

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia (8-9, 3-9 ACC) racked up 11 hits in a 10-4 victory in the series finale against No. 15 Pitt (11-5, 8-4 ACC) on Monday at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers scored six unanswered runs in its final two turns at the plate to seal the win.

The Cavaliers broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh with a four-run outburst. Catcher Logan Michaels (DeForest, Wis.) delivered the go-ahead base knock, a hustle double on a chopper over a drawn in infield that scored two runs. A batter later, Devin Ortiz (Nutley, N.J.) lined his second home run in as many days over the left field wall, a two-run shot that put Virginia up 8-4.

“I’m proud of our guys on how they bounced back today,” head coach Brian O’Connor said. “Obviously the first two games of the series were not how we wanted them to go but I thought we went on the attack offensively today. A number of guys had good, solid days. In order to have big offensive days, you have to have multiple players in your lineup have multiple hits and RBI because in this league it’s not going to happen often where the other team gives you a bunch of runs.”

Eight of the nine players in the Virginia starting lineup reached base in the contest while Kyle Teel (Mahwah, N.J.), Zack Gelof (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Brendan Rivoli (Douglassville, Pa.) and Michaels put fourth two-hit performances. The Cavaliers scored eight of their 10 runs with two outs.

Michaels finished with a season-high, three RBI to go along with a 2-for-4, two run day at the plate.

After the Cavaliers fell behind 1-0 on a David Yanni home run in the second inning, Gelof put the Cavaliers in front for the first time in the series in the third with a two-out, two-RBI double down the left field line that scored Teel and Nic Kent (Charlottesville, Va.). Gelof scored one of his two runs when the next batter, Rivoli, singled to center field to cap a three-run inning.

Rivoli finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored and RBI. The two-hit effort was his sixth of the season, the second-most on the team.

Starting pitcher Mike Vasil (Wellesley, Mass.) pitched into the sixth inning for the fourth time in five starts and was lifted with two outs and tying run on second base. A Brock Franks RBI single off Nate Savino (Sterling, Va.) tied the game at four and gave Vasil a no-decision. Vasil was charged with two of the four runs to cross in his 5.2 innings of work and he struck out five batters.

Savino settled in got the next four outs for the Cavaliers and picked up his first win of the season thanks to the big seventh inning. Stephen Schoch (Laurel, Md.) pitched the final two frames for the Cavaliers and struck out four batters, including three in the eighth inning.

The Cavaliers will travel to Liberty for a non-conference game on Wednesday (March 24), a game that was originally scheduled for Tuesday (March 23). First pitch for the game on Wednesday is slated for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.