Baseball: Hoos complete sweep of Hofstra with 11-9 win in series finale

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

No. 14 Virginia emerged on top of Hofstra in a 11-9, seesaw affair at Disharoon Park on Sunday. Freshman Henry Ford hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, his second in as many games, that proved to be the difference in the series finale.

Over the first six innings, the lead changed hands five times and the game was tied twice. Fellow first year Bryson Moore came to pitch in the third inning and delivered three shutout innings of relief and was credited with the win in his collegiate debut. Seven Cavaliers put forth two-hit efforts including Ford who went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBI.

The Cavaliers (3-0) have scored 42 runs in their first three games of the year, the most in the Brian O’Connor era (2004-present) and the most since plating 50 in the first three games of the 1911 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Hofstra’s Satino Rosso, the second batter of the game, hit a two-run homer to give the Pride (0-3) an initial 2-0 advantage. Hofstra scored in the first inning in all three contests this weekend.

The first five batters in the Virginia bottom half of the first reached base. After an Ethan Anderson RBI single, Casey Saucke gave UVA its first lead with a two-RBI single to right field.

Hofstra capitalized on three walks in the bottom of the second as all three free passes came around to score. A two-run double by Dylan Palmer and a RBI groundout by Rosso put Hofstra back in front, 5-3.

Three Cavalier doubles, including the first of the season for Anderson, evened the game up at five in the bottom of the second.

The two teams traded runs third inning and Cavaliers knotted the game at six after an RBI double from Henry Godbout.

Saucke broke the 6-6 stalemate in the fifth with an RBI double that brought in Ford. Three batters later, Godbout made it 8-6 with a sacrifice fly to center. Saucke went 2 for 5 with a run scored and drove in three runs on the afternoon.

Ford’s home run gave Virginia a five-run advantage and proved to be pivotal as Hofstra came within two runs after a three-run rally in the seventh.

Lefthander Blake Barker got the final out of the seventh inning and worked a scoreless eighth. He gave way to Aidan Teel who worked a perfect ninth inning for his second save of the weekend.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Griff O’Ferrall extended his hitting streak to 11 games and was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI in the contest.
• UVA has won 19-straight February games (1 in 2021, 7 in 2022, 8 in 2023, 3 in 2024) dating back to the 2021 season.
• Virginia had seven doubles in the game, the most since racking up seven in the opening game of the 2023 Charlottesville Regional against Army.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers conclude their four-game homestand on Tuesday with a non-conference matchup against ODU. First pitch at Disharoon Park is scheduled for 3 p.m.