UVA Bats Fall Silent Again in 4-1 Loss, Drops Series at Pitt

After putting up 18 runs on Saturday, the Cavaliers managed just one run against the Panthers on Sunday

Author:
Matt Newton
Updated:
Apr 17, 2022 6:22 PM EDT
Original:
Apr 17, 2022

A bizarre, virtually accidental triple play was not enough to save the Cavaliers. After plating 18 runs to even the series on Saturday, the UVA bats once again fell quiet as No. 8 Virginia fell to Pittsburgh 4-1 on Sunday. Despite outscoring Pitt 23-13 in the three-game series, the Cavaliers lost an ACC series for the second weekend in a row.

UVA's pitching staff struggled mightily with location in this game, walking eight batters. The Virginia defense also committed three errors. Even with those issues, the Cavaliers were fortunate to keep this game within striking distance, especially considering the Panthers had bases loaded opportunities in four separate innings.

In the bottom of the second, Pitt used a single, a walk, and a fielding error by UVA starting pitcher Jake Berry to load the bases. Josh Overbeek brought home Jack Anderson with a sacrifice fly to give the Panthers the lead, but Berry managed to strike out Nick Giamarusti to end the inning with no further damage.

In the top of the fourth inning, Virginia tied the game as Chris Newell doubled to score Devin Ortiz. In the bottom half of the inning, however, Berry surrendered back-to-back walks and then a single to Overbeek to load the bases with one out. Berry gave up a sacrifice fly to Giamarusti to make it 2-1. That ended Berry's day, as Virginia turned the ball over to Dylan Bowers, who needed just one pitch to get Jeffrey Wehler to pop out to first base and get out of the jam.

Bowers' success on the mound did not continue in the fifth, as he walked three consecutive batters to load the bases once again with no outs. Virginia brought in Brandon Neeck to face Bryce Hulett, needing a miracle to escape the inning.

The Cavaliers got that miracle in the form of an unusual triple play that you'd have to see to believe.

Hulett grounded to Jake Gelof at third, who came home to get the force-out at the plate. Kyle Teel turned and fired to Devin Ortiz at first for the double play. Ortiz mistakenly thought that was the third out and tossed the ball towards the mound before quickly realizing his mistake and chasing after it. Sky Duff, who had started the play on second base before moving to third, tried to take advantage of the miscue and took off towards home plate. Ortiz scooped up the ball and threw it to Teel who applied the tag on Duff to end the inning - just your classic 5-2-3-2 triple play.

It was UVA's first triple play since 2004, Brian O'Connor's first season as Virginia's head coach.

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, their own bats stayed quiet while the Panthers continued to get scoring opportunities. In the bottom of the seventh inning, two singles and a UVA error loaded the bases for Pitt for the fourth time. Paul Kosanovich entered the game and walked in a run and then gave up a long single to Ron Washington Jr. to score Cameron Barto to make it 4-1. Kosanovich got the next two outs to end the inning.

While that three-run lead was hardly comfortable for the Panthers, who witnessed the firepower of the UVA offense in game 2 on Saturday, the 4-1 advantage ended up being more than enough as the Cavalier bats reverted to their slump form that has plagued this ball club for the past two weeks.

Pittsburgh starter Billy Corcoran went seven innings, yielding seven hits but just one run and he struck out four UVA batters. Virginia left eight runners on base in the game, stranding two runners in each of the first, second, and fourth innings. Alex Tappen was the only Cavalier to manage two hits in the game.

With the loss, Virginia falls to 27-9 overall and 10-8 in ACC play. UVA plays at VCU on Tuesday at 7pm in Richmond, before returning to Charlottesville for a home game against Georgetown on Wednesday at 6pm at Disharoon Park.

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