Baseball: No. 15 Hoos shut out Monarchs, 4-0

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Posted on Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2024, 11:30 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

No. 15 Virginia recorded their second shutout of the season, with a 4-0 win over ODU on Tuesday at Disharoon Park. Eight Cavalier pitchers limited the Monarchs to two hits, the fewest by a Cavalier opponent this season and fewest since allowing two in the 2023 NCAA Regional opener against Army.

The two teams were engaged in a pitcher’s duel through the first six innings until sophomore Luke Hanson broke the stalemate in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out RBI single through the right side that scored Ethan Anderson. UVA (23-6) tacked on three more insurance runs in the seventh to seal its second win of the season over ODU.

Lefthander Owen Coady was credited with the win after taking over on the mound in the top of the seventh. He struck out all six batters he faced in order. The eight Cavalier pitchers combined to strikeout 14 batters, matching a season high.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Virginia left five runners on base in the first four innings, including four in scoring position. Beginning in the fifth, Monarch reliever David Pond then sat down eight-straight Cavaliers before hitting Anderson with a pitch, a play that originally called a ball and challenged by head coach Brian O’Connor. The play was overturned allowing UVA’s first runner since the fourth inning.

Anderson advanced to second on a wild pitch and Hanson delivered the two-out blow through the left side for the first run of the game.

Matt Augustin (1 batter), Coady (6 batters) and Aidan Teel (3 batters) sat down the final 10 Monarchs down in order. Augustin stranded two runners in the top of the sixth, one of two occasions that ODU (15-13) had a runner in scoring position.

Freshman Henry Ford recorded his first career triple, driving a 1-2 pitch off the wall in right field that scored two runs. Henry Godbout followed it up with a single to left and made it 4-0 UVA.

Teel needed only nine pitches to retire the side in the ninth.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • The two teams endured a one-hour and 14-minute weather delay after the top of the third inning.
  • A total of 14 pitchers were used in the contest, six by ODU and a season-high eight by UVA.
  • All four runs scored by UVA were with two outs.
  • The Cavaliers take a 35-34-2 lead in the all-time series and blank ODU for second-straight meeting. The two teams are scheduled to play again on April 16 at Harbor Park in Norfolk.

UP NEXT

Virginia will continue its ACC slate on Thursday when it begins a three-game series against No. 10 North Carolina. The series opener (7 p.m.) will be broadcast live on ACC Network. Game two will be on Friday at 6 p.m. and the series concludes on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.