Baseball: No. 14 Hoos stay perfect with 6-4 victory against Auburn

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Posted on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, 8:00 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

No. 14 Virginia won the inaugural Jax College Classic after a 6-4 victory over Auburn on Sunday at 121 Financial Ballpark in Jacksonville. The Cavaliers are 7-0 to start the year for the third-straight season and the ninth time under head coach Brian O’Connor.

Virginia scored in four of its last five turns at the plate to pull away from the Tigers who are ranked in the top-25 in three of the four major collegiate polls and as high No. 14 (Perfect Game). Eight of the nine Cavaliers in the lineup recorded a hit, including multi-hit efforts from Griff O’Ferrall, Anthony Stephan and Harrison Didawick.

Reliever Kevin Jaxel was credited with his first win of the season after he pitched 2.2 innings of one-run baseball and struck a pair. Jaxel is the seventh different Cavalier to register a win this season. Aidan Teel registered his third save of the season after he pitched a scoreless ninth.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UVA starting pitcher Owen Coady gave the Cavaliers 3.2 innings of one-run baseball in his first start for the orange and blue. He was aided by an unbelievable double play turned by Henry Godbout with the bases loaded in the second inning. The second baseman backhanded a ball up the middle and flipped it to Griff O’Ferrall with his glove who completed the 4-6-3 twin killing.

The two teams traded runs in the third inning to open up the scoring. The Cavaliers plated its first run on an RBI groundout by Henry Ford, his fifth RBI of the weekend.

Auburn (6-1) took the lead for the only time in the contest in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Mason Maners.

Trailing 2-1, the Cavaliers evened the score in the fifth when Griff O’Ferrall scored for the second time in the game after he came around on an Ethan Anderson sacrifice fly.

Virginia took the lead in the sixth on an RBI double by Luke Hanson, his first two-bagger of the season.

Casey Saucke delivered his fifth RBI of the weekend when he traded places at second base with Anderson in the top of the seventh, to put UVA up 4-2. Saucke went 6 for 15 with five RBI on the weekend.

After Auburn pulled within one in the seventh, the Cavaliers rallied for two runs in its half of the eighth. A ground-rule double by Bobby Whalen put UVA in front 5-3 and Anthony Stephan’s two-out RBI single up the middle made it 6-3.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • Virginia has trailed in six of its seven wins this season.
  • UVA has been 7-0 eight times under Brian O’Connor (2008, ’09, ’13, ’15, ’17, ’22, ’23, ’24).
  • UVA is 2-0 against Auburn under O’Connor. UVA won against the Tigers back in 2011, 13-2, in Orlando, Fla.
  • The Cavaliers are winners of 23-straight February games and have won 36-straight games against non-conference opponents in the regular season.
  • Virginia is 17-17 vs. SEC opponents under O’Connor.

UP NEXT

Virginia will return home on Tuesday to take on VMI and begin a five-game homestand at Disharoon Park. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.