Cavaliers Now

Virginia Baseball Smashes Home Run Record in 18-5 Win Over George Washington

Matthew Newton|
Ethan Anderson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the Virginia baseball game against George Washington.
Ethan Anderson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the Virginia baseball game against George Washington. | Virginia Athletics

For the third year in a row, Virginia has shattered its all-time program record for home runs in a single season. Needing just two home runs to break the team homer record coming out of the exam break, the Cavaliers left nothing in doubt as they smashed the record with six home runs, powering No. 10 Virginia (36-12) to an 18-5 victory over George Washington (26-22) via seven-inning run rule on Wednesday afternoon at Disharoon Park.

If the Cavaliers were at all rusty in their first game in seven days, they didn't show it, sending four runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning. Ethan Anderson lifted a two-run home run off the batter's eye in center field. Harrison Didawick walked, moved to third on a Henry Godbout single, and then stole home, and then Bobby Whalen scored Godbout with a single.

After retiring the side in order in the top of the first, Virginia starter Bryson Moore allowed a leadoff double and a walk in the second, but managed to strand the bases loaded to cap his two scoreless innings of work.

George Washington got on the board on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third, but Virginia answered with a big inning in the bottom half, starting again with the long ball as Anthony Stephan hit a two-run home run, which was the record-breaking 84th home run of the season for UVA, and then Eric Becker hit an opposite-field solo homer two batters later.

The inning continued as Griff O'Ferrall singled and eventually scored on an error. Jacob Ference and Henry Godbout each hit RBI singles and then Bobby Whalen drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the seventh run of the inning. By the time the Revolutionaries recorded the final out, the Cavaliers had built an 11-1 lead.

UVA plated three more runs in the fourth as O'Ferrall scored on a fielder's choice and then Harrison Didawick hit a two-run home run to left-center field, his team-leading18th homer of the season.

After Virginia scored another run in the fifth on an Ethan Anderson RBI single, George Washington scored three runs on a trio of RBI singles in the top of the sixth. The UVA bats answered again in the bottom half, starting with a one-out solo home run by Aidan Teel, his third homer in just 10 at-bats this season.

Godbout followed that up with a double and then came around to score on an Anthony Stephan single. Bobby Whalen hit a solo home run later in the inning, Virginia's sixth long ball of the game.

George Washington scored one run in the top of the seventh, but couldn't avoid the run-rule as the Cavaliers closed out the 18-5 victory in seven innings.

Virginia used 10 pitchers in the game, getting an excellent start from Bryson Moore and a great outing from Jay Woolfolk, who retired all five batters he faced and was credited with his second win of the season.

Five Cavaliers had multi-hit games, led by Henry Godbout, who had four hits, three RBI, and two runs scored. Three different UVA batters had three RBI in the game. Virginia scored 18 runs on 20 hits, the 24th time the Cavaliers have scored double-digit runs this season.

The 1988 UVA baseball team hit 67 home runs, a record that stood for almost 35 years until the 2022 Cavaliers broke it with 75 long balls. Last season, Virginia improved on that mark with 83 home runs en route to making the program's sixth appearance in the College World Series.

The Cavaliers are hoping for a similar outcome to the season as they have demolished the team homer record with two weeks left before postseason play even begins.

With the non-conference portion of the regular season in the books - UVA went 22-2 against non-conference opponents this season - Virginia has a pair of home ACC series left, beginning this weekend as NC State comes to Charlottesville for a three-game set starting on Friday at 7pm at Disharoon Park.

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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