Cavaliers Now

UVA Baseball Wins 'Batting Practice', Beats Boston College 22-16

Matthew Newton|
Virginia Athletic

On the tickets sold for game 2 of Virginia vs. Boston College on Saturday, written in fine print were the words "Defense sold separately." Anyone who came to Disharoon Park to watch a college baseball game on Saturday were not treated to very much defense or quality pitching, but rather an overabundance of runs and hits.

The Cavaliers came out on the winning side of this high-scoring affair thanks to some remarkable individual showings at the plate from UVA's 2-3-4 hitters, who combined to go 12 for 15 with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored. Behind those standout batting performances, Virginia (9-4, 1-1 ACC) managed to even the series with a 22-16 victory over Boston College (5-6, 1-1 ACC) on Saturday at Disharoon Park.

The scoring started right away as Boston College capitalized on two Virginia fielding errors to push three runs across the plate on UVA freshman starter Tomas Valincius. The Cavaliers responded in the bottom of the first as Henry Ford hit a double down the left field line to score Henry Godbout and then Chris Arroyo scored on a sacrifice fly by Trey Wells to make it 3-2 BC.

Both starters settled in to deliver a scoreless second frame and then Valincius worked around a two-out single to put another zero on the board in the top of the third. UVA's 2-3-4 batters produced another run to tie the game in the bottom of the third as Godbout doubled, Arroyo singled, and then Ford singled to bring home Godbout to pull the Cavaliers even.

The Eagles reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth as Valincius gave up three hits and committed an error, allowing two runs to score. Alex Markus came in and gave up an RBI single, which was charged to Valincius as well, and then gave up a walk, but Markus then struck out the next batter to strand two runners on base with Boston College leading 6-3.

The Cavaliers fired back in the bottom of the fourth and it was the usual suspects responsible for it as Godbout ripped a triple to left field to clear the bases loaded and then Arroyo crushed a two-run home run to center field to put Virginia in front 8-6.

Things quieted down temporarily after that as the fifth and sixth innings went by with no runs scored, but then the runs started coming again in droves in the seventh inning. Virginia pitcher Drew Koenen issued two walks to start the inning, committed an error to bring a run home, and then a sacrifice bunt and a single scored two more runs to give the Eagles a 9-8 lead.

Virginia seized control of the game in the bottom of the seventh as the Hoos batted around and scored a staggering nine runs on eight hits. Sparking that two-out rally were three-consecutive RBI doubles by Aidan Teel, James Nunnallee, and Harrison Didawick. Hanson, Godbout, and Arroyo hit RBI singles, Wells walked with the bases loaded to score another run, and then Teel punctuated the explosive inning with a two-run single. The nine runs UVA scored were its most in a single inning against an ACC opponent since scoring 10 in an inning against Georgia Tech in 2022.

With Virginia now leading 17-9, the game should have been in hand at that point, but Boston College had other ideas. The Eagles plated four more runs in the top of the eighth against Charlie Oschell and Blake Barker, who gave up a combined three singles and three walks to make it 17-13.

The UVA bats went right back to work in the bottom of the eighth, with Eric Becker doubling to score Hanson and then Chris Arroyo hitting his second home run of the day, a three-run blast to right field.

Didawick later drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 22-13.

Boston College managed to score three runs in the top of the ninth, but Matthew Buchanan got a double play and a strikeout to finally bring the game to an end.

The 22 runs were the most Virginia has scored in an ACC game since scoring 27 runs in a win over Maryland in April of 2010. That was enough to overcome UVA committing five errors in the field, the most for the team in a single game since 2009.

Six UVA batters had multi-hit games, with the headliners being Henry Godbout (4 for 5, four RBI, five runs scored), Chris Arroyo (5 for 5, six RBI, four runs scored), and Henry Ford (3 for 5, two RBI, three runs scored). Drew Koenen was credited with the win on the mound for Virginia.

The Cavaliers will look to clinch the series win in the first ACC series of the season in game 3 against Boston College on Sunday at noon at Disharoon Park and the game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

More Virginia Baseball News

Virginia Baseball Blows Lead, Drops ACC Opener to Boston College 7-4


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Virginia Baseball Run Rules Dartmouth 13-3 to Complete Sweep

Valincius Shines, Virginia Bats Deliver, UVA Baseball Thumps Dartmouth 11-1

Jay Woolfolk Strikes Out 10, Virginia Baseball Beats Dartmouth 11-3

Published
Matt Newton
MATTHEW NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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