No. 10 Virginia Beats Wake Forest 8-2 in Series Opener

The Cavaliers took down the Demon Deacons in game 1 at Winston-Salem on Friday

Author:
Matt Newton
Updated:
Mar 25, 2022 8:59 PM EDT
Original:
Mar 25, 2022

No. 10 Virginia baseball traveled to Winston-Salem for the second ACC road series of the season at Wake Forest. The Cavaliers used a four-run sixth inning and held the Demon-Deacons to just four total hits to pick up an 8-2 victory in the series opener on Friday at David F. Couch Ballpark.

After two scoreless innings to start the game, Virginia struck first with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the third. Max Cotier and Griff O'Ferrall got on board with a couple of singles and advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Both Cotier and O'Ferrall then came home on a wild pitch for the game's first runs.

In the top of the fourth, Alex Tappen crushed a ball over the left field wall for his sixth home run of the season.

Nate Savino got the start on the mound for the Cavaliers and delivered a brilliant performance through 6.1 innings of work. Savino allowed just two runs on four hits and struck out five batters and improved to 4-0 on the season. Wake's two runs came on a two-out, two-run single by Brendan Tinsman in the bottom of the fourth to make it a one-run game.

Virginia regained control of the game in the top of the sixth as the Cavaliers put up four runs to stretch the lead to five. Jake Gelof and Chris Newell drew walks and then Casey Saucke singled to center field, which ended up scoring both Gelof and Newell, as Wake committed an error. Colin Tuft grounded out to short to score Saucke, who had advanced to third on an error by the pitcher. The mistakes continued for Wake, as Max Cotier reached base with a walk and advanced to second on a balk, before coming home on a single from Griff O'Ferrall. The Cavaliers scored four runs on just two hits in the sixth inning.

Savino was lifted for Matt Wyatt in the bottom of the seventh as Savino gave up back-to-back singles with one out. Wyatt came in and punched out the next two batters to strand two Demon Deacons on base. In the bottom of the eighth, Wyatt walked a batter, but brilliant play by Casey Saucke ended the inning as he made a sliding catch in right field before firing the ball to first base to double up the runner.

Virginia tacked on one more insurance run in the top of the ninth and then Matt Wyatt pitched a perfect bottom half of the ninth inning to close out the game.

With the 8-2 win, Virginia moves to 21-1 and 6-1 in ACC play, improving on what is already the Cavaliers' best start to a season in program history. Game 2 between UVA and Wake is set for 4pm on Saturday.

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