Eric Becker Powers Virginia Baseball to 11-5 Win Over George Mason
One day after having one of their quietest offensive performances of the season in a surprising setback at Old Dominion, the Cavaliers returned to their usual selves and scored double-digit runs for the 20th time this season.
Eric Becker drove in four runs, three of which on a momentum-swinging three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, to lead No. 10 Virginia baseball (29-9) to an 11-5 victory over George Mason (16-18) on Wednesday night at Disharoon Park.
UVA had its 11th different starting pitcher on the mound to begin the game, as freshman Bryson Moore got the start after missing the last two months with an injury. He induced a double play to help work around a pair of singles to retire the side in the top of the first.
Griff O'Ferrall drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, moved to second on a Bobby Whalen single and over to third on a throwing error, and then scored on a Casey Saucke single. Harrison Didawick then grounded into a double play, but that allowed Whalen to score to make it 2-0.
The Patriots got one back in the top of the second as Blake Barker gave up an RBI single, but avoided further damage with a key strikeout to strand a runner on third base. In the bottom of the second, Ethan Anderson singled and advanced to third on an error before coming home on a sacrifice fly from Luke Hanson.
Barker and Ryan Osinski kept George Mason scoreless in the third and fourth frames, but then Osinski gave up an RBI double to Jordan Smith in the top of the fifth. Casey Saucke responded with an RBI double of his own in the bottom of the fifth, sending one down the left field line to score Whalen from first base.
George Mason managed to tie things up in the top of the sixth, as Angelo Tonas gave up a solo home run to Reece Woody and an RBI single to Derek Wood.
Once again, the UVA offense had an immediate answer as Hanson and Eric Becker hit back-to-back RBI triples and then Griff O'Ferrall followed that up with another RBI extra base hit, doubling down the left field line to score Becker, capping a three-run inning that put Virginia ahead 7-4.
Tonas bounced back with an easy 1-2-3 top of the seventh that required only six pitches. Virginia finally seized control in the bottom half of the inning, as Eric Becker delivered his third home run in the last five games, a three-run bomb that went off the scoreboard in right-center field.
George Mason got one run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, but Virginia answered in the bottom half on another long ball, this time from Jacob Ference, his 10th of the season and the 69th home run for the Cavaliers as a team this year.
Matt Augustin worked around a leadoff single to retire the side in the top of the ninth to secure UVA's 11-5 victory.
Having bounced back from its loss at Old Dominion, Virginia will look to keep the ball rolling this weekend as Georgia Tech comes to town for a three-game series at Disharoon Park. Game 1 is set for Friday at 6pm, with game 2 following on Saturday at 4pm, and then the series will wrap up on Sunday at 1pm.