Eight-run fifth inning propels Virginia to ninth win

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia (9-0) erupted for eight runs in the fifth inning that led to a 10-1 victory over Penn State (3-5) on Friday at Disharoon Park. The Cavaliers scored double-digit runs for the sixth-straight game and limited the Nittany Lions to just five hits.

The game-changing fifth inning was the largest single-inning run output of the young season. Virginia has scored five or more runs in a single inning, eight times in nine games.

The two teams engaged in a pitcher’s duel over the first four innings. Penn State starting pitcher Travis Luensmann gave up a leadoff single in the first and retired 12-straight batters before UVA sent 11 hitters to the plate in the fifth.

After surrendering back-to-back doubles in the second inning that tied the game, Virginia starting pitcher Nate Savino retired 14 of the next 17 batters he faced. He exited in the top of the seventh inning and was credited with his second win of the season. Savino fanned four batters and pitched six innings of five-hit baseball.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Virginia plated the first run of the ballgame in the first inning on an RBI groundout by Devin Ortiz that scored first year Griff O’Ferrall. Penn State tied the game in its next turn at the plate with back-to-back doubles by Kyle Hannon and Billy Gerlott.
• Graduate student Alex Tappen led-off the fifth with a double, scored a run and then capped the Virginia rally with a two-run home run later in the inning. The long ball was his second of the season and 15th of his career.
• With two runs already across and the Cavaliers up 3-1, Kyle Teel cleared the bases with a three-run, opposite-field triple into the left-centerfield gap and made the score 6-1. Teel is 2-for-2 with a home run, triple and seven RBI when batting with the bases loaded this season.
• Jacob Hodorovich came on in relief of Savino with a runner on first and retired the next three batters in order. He pitched a clean eighth and gave way to Paul Kosanovich in the ninth. The appearance for Kosanovich was his first of the season and he sat down the Nittany Lions in order in the ninth to seal the victory.

FROM HEAD COACH BRIAN O’CONNOR

“A real complete game and all facets. Great defense, (Nate) Savino was really good, it was nice to see him go out there and pitch six innings. I love seeing (Paul) Kosanovich come in for his first outing. He was a little slowed at the beginning of the year and it’s exciting to get him back out there. He could be a key component, he’s got some great experience and good stuff. (Travis) Luensmann, their starter, was really good. He kind of had us tied in knots. That was some of the best velocity we’ve seen this year. He did a nice job elevating his fastball against us and getting us to chase his slider a little bit. I thought we made a great adjustment in the fifth inning, (Alex) Tappen with the double down the line and just one after another. We’ve had a few of those kinds of innings this year.”

UP NEXT: The three-game set against Penn State continues on Saturday (March 5). The Cavalier will have lefthander Brian Gursky (2-0) on the mound and he will be opposed by fellow southpaw Kellan Tulio (1-0). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

NOTES

• Virginia has now scored 10 or more runs in six-straight games for only the fourth time in program history – 1889, 1893, 2006, 2002.
• The Cavaliers improve to 9-0 for the sixth time in school history. Five of the six have come under head coach Brian O’Connor.
• Freshman Casey Saucke had an RBI single as part of the fifth-inning outburst. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He has four multi-hit efforts in seven games played this season and has a team-best, seven game hit streak.
• Teel extended his reached base streak to 35 games.