Losing Skid Continues for No. 8 Virginia in 9-2 Loss Against ODU

The Cavaliers fell to the Monarchs on Tuesday night for their fourth-straight loss

Author:
Matt Newton
Publish date:
Apr 12, 2022 10:20 PM EDT

The rough stretch of baseball continues for No. 8 Virginia. After suffering just three losses through the first 29 games of the season, the Cavaliers have now lost their last four games after dropping a 9-2 contest against Old Dominion on Tuesday night at Disharoon Park.

UVA entered the game looking to get back on track in terms of both hitting and pitching, as neither were particularly strong for the Cavaliers in a three-game sweep on the road at now-No. 2 Miami last weekend. Hoping to right the ship with some home cooking, the Hoos endured another all-around poor performance from start to finish.

Old Dominion took no time at all in putting some pressure on Will Geerdes, who was making his first start on the mound in a Cavalier uniform after spending most of the season as UVA's closer. Geerdes hit Tommy Bell with the second pitch of the game and then gave up a single to Kenny Levari. He managed to get the next two outs but then gave up a two-run double to Matt Coutney down the left field line. ODU got two more runners on to load the bases, but Justin Rubin made an acrobatic catch on a shallow blooper to end the inning.

Old Dominion starter Tommy Gertner kept the Cavaliers off the board through the first two innings, but Virginia was able to tie the game in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run from Kyle Teel to right field.

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, that swing was not a signal of the return of the Virginia bats, who were held to just five hits in the entire game and did not score another run the rest of the way.

The Monarchs quickly regained the lead and then some in the top of the fourth inning. Freshman Matthew Buchanan replaced Geerdes to start the inning but was only able to get two outs before getting pulled from the game. Buchanan surrendered three singles to load the bases and then Justin Rubin committed an error at second base on a sharply hit grounder from Kenny Levari, which allowed two runs to score.

Jay Woolfolk entered the game for Buchanan, but the freshman two-sport athlete struggled to find the zone, walking each of the three batters he faced. ODU scored on a wild pitch and then Woolfolk walked in a run with the bases loaded to make it 6-2. Dylan Bowers came in and struck out Brock Gagliardi to bring the inning to an end.

Virginia put two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth, so ODU lifted Gertner and inserted right-handed reliever Henry Hersum, who got Alex Tappen to fly out to end the inning and strand runners on second and third. Virginia managed just one more baserunner for the rest of the game, as Hersum, Brad Dobzanski, and Jacob Gomez combined to allow just one hit in 4.1 innings of relief work for the Monarchs.

ODU put the nail in the coffin with a three-run ninth inning. Matt Coutney hit a solo home run off of Jacob Hodorovich and then Kyle Edwards delivered a two-run single to make it 9-2.

It was certainly a satisfying victory for the Monarchs, as they got revenge on the team who ended their postseason run in 2021. Virginia defeated Old Dominion in the final of the Columbia Regional last season.

With its fourth-straight loss, Virginia falls to 26-7 overall. The Cavaliers will look to rediscover their winning ways as they head back on the road to play a three-game series at Pittsburgh this weekend. Game 1 is set for 6pm on Friday on ACC Network Extra.

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