Brian Gursky held Pitt to two hits in 6.2 innings, and Jake Gelof was 4-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored to key an 18-0 Virginia win at Pitt on Saturday.
The win snaps a five-game losing streak for the eighth-ranked ‘Hoos (27-8, 10-7 ACC).
Already leading 4-0, Virginia sent 12 batters to the plate in the fifth inning and plated seven runs. It was the 19th time this season that the Cavaliers have scored five or more runs in an inning and eighth time that UVA has scored seven or more in a single frame. Devin Ortiz, Justin Rubin and Griff O’Ferrall had RBI hits in the frame.
The Cavaliers added seven additional runs after the fifth-inning outburst, including three-run rallies in the seventh and eighth. Coming on a pinch-hitter in the eighth, freshman Ethan Anderson had a two-run double and he was followed by a Colin Tuft RBI single to cap the Virginia scoring.
Sophomore Alex Greene pitched the final 2.1 innings to preserve UVA’s seventh shutout of the season. He stranded a runner in scoring position in the seventh and faced six batters over the final two innings.
“It was a terrific bounce back day for us,” UVA coach Brian O’Connor said. “Our guys accepted the challenge and Pitt has got a very good team, they showed that on Friday night. Our guys responded and (Brian) Gursky was outstanding. When you’re in a tough spot, you need guys to step forward and he did. Jake Gelof had five quality at bats today, everybody in the lineup had an RBI and it was just a complete team effort. We needed a really well-played game today. I was just proud of our guys, having bounced back on the road for an ACC win.”
The weekend ACC series will conclude on Sunday at 2 p.m. with a rubber match on ACC Network. The Cavaliers will have lefthander Jake Berry (4-1) on the mound, and he will be opposed by Panther righty Billy Cocoran (4-2).
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Chris Graham
