Baseball: No. 14 Cavaliers blank Monarchs, 8-0, to remain perfect heading to Florida

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Posted on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, 10:42 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

Five Cavalier pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout in an 8-0 win over ODU on Wednesday at Disharoon Park. No. 14 Virginia improved to 4-0 on the season and have now won 33-straight regular season games against non-conference opponents.

Virginia starting pitcher Cullen McKay set the tone for the Cavalier hurlers, fanning five batters over 4.1 innings pitched. The righthander retired the first eight batters he faced and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning. Reliever Kevin Jaxel was credited with the win, tossing 1.2 scoreless frames and stranded four runners between the fifth and sixth innings. Ryan Osinski, Owen Coady and Chase Hungate pitched the final three innings and allowed only one runner to reach base.

Harrison Didawick hit his third home run of the season and also had an RBI double in a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.

HOW IT HAPPENED

For the first time this season Virginia captured the game’s initial lead after Didawick’s solo job with two outs in the third inning. It was the first of UVA’s 13 hits on the afternoon against the Monarchs (3-1).

Anthony Stephan doubled in the in a run in the third inning, his second two-bagger of the season and second RBI of the young season.

Griff O’Ferrall produced an infield, RBI single in the fourth to give UVA a 3-0 advantage. O’Ferrall was 2 for 5 on the day, his fourth-straight multi-hit game.

The Cavaliers broke it open in the sixth with a four-run frame. First year Eric Becker delivered a two-out, two-RBI single to left field that capped the rally. The single was his first collegiate hit.

The five Virginia pitchers totaled a season-high 13 strikeouts. Jaxel, Osinski, Coady and Hungate each fanned two batters.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • Ten different Cavaliers registered a hit in the contest, including everyone in the starting lineup.
  • The all-time series, that was first played in 1965, is now even at 34-34-2. The Cavaliers have won eight of the last nine meetings and are 13-8 against the Monarchs under Brian O’Connor.
  • O’Ferrall has now hit safely in 12-straight games and put forth multi-hit efforts in eight of his last nine games dating back to last season.
  • Virginia has won 20-straight games in the month of February dating back to the 2021 season. It also extended its home winning streak against non-conference opponents in the regular season to 24 games.

UP NEXT

Virginia will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to participate in the Jax Collegiate Classic at 121 Financial Ballpark. The Cavaliers will open up the tournament on Friday against Wichita State at 2 p.m., play No. 18 Iowa on Saturday at 4 p.m. and close out with Auburn on Sunday at 4 p.m. All three games will be broadcast live on D1Baseball.com.