Virginia Holds Off Hofstra for 11-9 Win, Completes Series Sweep
Two of the three games required the Cavaliers to sweat it out to the finish line, but Virginia got the job done and completed the series sweep to open the 2024 college baseball season. Trailing early on for the third-consecutive game, Virginia again seized control in the middle innings and then withstood a late rally to beat Hofstra 11-9 on Sunday afternoon to punctuate the opening series sweep.
Hofstra drew first blood in the top of the first inning for the third-straight game and this time it came on a home run as Santino Rosso took Jay Woolfolk, who was making his first-career start on the mound, deep to right field for a two-run homer.
Virginia didn't wait long to strike back, as Griff O'Ferrall, Anthony Stephan, and Ethan Anderson hit consecutive singles to score a run and then Casey Saucke scored two runs with another single to give UVA the lead.
Woolfolk's struggles persisted in the second, as he issued three-consecutive walks and then gave up a two-run double to Dylan Palmer and an RBI groundout made it 5-3 in favor of the Pride. UVA again responded in the bottom half of the inning, with O'Ferrall and Anderson delivering RBI doubles to even the score at 5-5.
Woolfolk's fifth walk spelled the end of his day in the top of the third and that baserunner ultimately became the sixth earned run of his outing on a sacrifice fly. Virginia tied things up again on an RBI double from Henry Godbout in the bottom half of the inning.
UVA regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth on another RBI double by Saucke and a sacrifice fly from Godbout. Freshman Henry Ford delivered his second home run in as many games in the bottom of the sixth, a three-run blast into the left field bleachers that gave Virginia an 11-6 lead.
Hofstra made it a game again in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs off of Bucknell transfer reliever Ryan Osinski to make it 11-9.
UVA's offense could muster no further run support, but the Cavalier pitching staff closed the door for the rest of the game, as Seton Hill transfer Blake Barker and Aidan Teel tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth frames, with Teel recording his second save of the season.
The top pitching performance of the day came from freshman righty Bryson Moore, who threw three scoreless innings and struck out three batters in his collegiate debut. Henry Ford and Casey Saucke had three RBI apiece and seven different Cavaliers had two hits in the game.
Up next, Virginia hosts Old Dominion on Tuesday at 3pm at Disharoon Park.
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