Iowa scored six runs in the bottom of the first, but #14 Virginia chipped away, chipped away, chipped away, and a three-run ninth pushed the ‘Hoos to a wild 12-9 win on Saturday in Jacksonville.
Casey Saucke was 3-for-6 with a solo homer and a two-run single, and Ethan Anderson had two hits, including a two-run homer, for Virginia (6-0).
Freshman first baseman Henry Ford continued his torrid start, with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, and it was his two-run single in the top of the ninth that gave UVA a three-run cushion.
There are concerns from this one, though.
That six-run first for #18 Iowa (3-3) being the biggest one.
Starting pitcher Jack O’Connor stayed in the game into the fourth.
His final statline: three-plus innings, eight runs on eight hits, six of those going for extra bases, three hit batters.
Yikes.
Last weekend’s #3 starter, Jay Woolfolk, who had an awful outing in an 11-9 win over Hofstra, getting tagged for six runs in two innings of work, issuing an ugly five walks in that short stint, was better in relief on Saturday.
Woolfolk scattered five hits over four and a third scoreless innings, striking out five and walking two.
Ryan Osinki got the win in relief, benefitting from being the guy who got the last two outs in the eighth, ahead of the ninth-inning threespot.
Blake Barker pitched around a leadoff walk to nail down his first save of the season.
Virginia closes out its weekend in Florida with a 4 p.m. Sunday game with Auburn.
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Chris Graham
