Virginia completes midweek sweep of George Washington

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia (11-13) scored six runs in its final two trips to the plate to secure a 7-2 victory over George Washington (9-8) on Tuesday at Barcroft Park. The Cavaliers have won 12-straight games against the Colonials including both meetings in 2021.

Senior Devin Ortiz (Nutley, N.J.) broke a 1-1 stalemate in the eighth inning with two-RBI single to left field that scored Logan Michaels (DeForest, Wis.) and Zack Gelof (Rehoboth Beach, Del.). The one-out hit sparked a four-run rally for the Cavaliers. Ortiz went 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. He has 10 RBI in his last seven games.

First year Addie Burrow (Spotsylvania, Va.) added the first round of insurance with an RBI single that scored Max Cotier (New Milford, Conn.). The hit was Burrow’s first of his collegiate career after getting his second start of the year.

The four-run, game-changing rally was capped with the fourth hit of the day by Chris Newell (Newtown Square, Pa.). The sophomore went 4-for-4 with an RBI in the contest, his first four-hit game of his Cavalier career. Newell also contributed an outfield assist that prevented George Washington from scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.

Seven UVA pitchers limited the Colonials to two runs on nine hits. Junior Zach Messinger (Chandler, Ind.) was credited with his second win of the season after coming on in the seventh and pitching two scoreless frames. Billy Price (Morristown, N.J.) made the start for Virginia and tossed two scoreless innings. He struck out three batters, matching a career high.

Senior Kyle Whitten (Manassas, Va.) and junior Brandon Neeck (Chappaqua, N.Y) each contributed scoreless innings out of the Cavalier bullpen. Junior Blake Bales (Schoolcraft, Mich.) recorded the final two outs of the game to secure the victory. Neeck and Bales have yet to surrender a run this season in a combined 23.2 innings pitched.

In the ninth inning, Cotier plated the final two Cavalier runs on the afternoon with a two-out, two-run triple to the gap in right center. The second year went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBI in the contest. The triple was his first of the season and fifth of his career.

Virginia will continue its road swing this weekend when it visits Georgia Tech for a three-game series that begins on Thursday (April 2). First pitch in the series opener is slated for 7 p.m.