Virginia Baseball Battered by Georgia Tech 17-12 in Series-Deciding Loss
For the second time this weekend and 11th time this season, the UVA pitching staff surrendered double-digit runs.
Capping a weekend in which the Cavaliers gave up a staggering 37 runs across the three games in a disappointing series loss, No. 10 Virginia (30-11, 12-9 ACC) was battered by Georgia Tech (24-14, 9-9 ACC) to the tune of a 17-12 defeat as the Yellow Jackets used a 25-hit effort to claim the series on Sunday afternoon at Disharoon Park.
As opposed to the first two games in which Georgia Tech got on the board first, Virginia got off to a strong start with Casey Saucke hitting an RBI single and Harrison Didawick scoring two with a single of his own to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead after one.
After setting the Yellow Jackets down in order in the first, Joe Savino gave up two unearned runs in the second sparked by a fielding error that Georgia Tech capitalized on with a pair of RBI singles. Virginia responded in the bottom half as Eric Becker was hit by a pitch and Griff O'Ferrall doubled and both came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Bobby Whalen and a Saucke groundout.
The two-run second-inning turned into a stretch of five-consecutive frames of scoring at least two runs for Georgia Tech. Blake Barker gave up three-straight singles and then an RBI double before getting replaced by Ryan Osinski, who allowed another run to score on an RBI single to tie the game at 5-5.
Jacob Ference temporarily put the Cavaliers back in front with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the third.
The Yellow Jackets resumed their onslaught on the UVA pitchers with three more runs in the fourth, posting three runs on five hits against Angelo Tonas.
Virginia responded in the bottom half as Saucke brought home O'Ferrall with an RBI single to get the Cavaliers back within one at 8-7.
Tonas gave up a two-run home run to Matthew Ellis in the top of the fifth and UVA answered with a run as Anderson doubled and scored on a Luke Hanson groundout.
The Yellow Jackets seized control of the game in the top of the sixth, scoring five runs on Tonas and Kevin Jaxel on four hits and an error to make it 15-8.
The UVA bats kept at it, taking little bites out of that deficit with one run in the bottom of the sixth as Saucke again scored O'Ferrall with a sacrifice fly and then two more in the seventh, using four walks and a single to score two runs, but failing to cash in any further.
After a scoreless eighth inning that saw Virginia strand runners on second and third, Georgia Tech tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth. Griff O'Ferrall completed a great individual performance with a solo home run to leadoff the bottom of the ninth.
O'Ferrall went 5 for 5 with two doubles, two RBI, five runs scored, and a home run.
The next three Cavalier batters were retired in order to secure Georgia Tech's 17-12 win to clinch the series.
Sunday marked the third time this season that the Cavaliers have scored double-digit runs in a loss.
Virginia will look to get back on track against Liberty on Tuesday at 6pm at Disharoon Park before traveling up to Boston for a three-game series at Boston College next weekend.