Virginia took care of business on Sunday, sweeping a doubleheader from Radford, taking Game 1 by an 11-1 score, and Game 2, also in blowout fashion, 14-5.
I was at The Dish for Game 1, which was a run-rule-shortened seven-inning affair.
UVA (32-16) took the lead in the third with three solo homers – Joe Tiroly and Sam Harris on back-to-back pitches, Jake Weatherspoon after Harrison Didawick was set down on strikes.
It was still just 3-1 into the bottom half of the sixth, when the ‘Hoos exploded for a seven-spot – highlighted by homers from Didawick, whose three-run shot, following a two-run single from Harris, got the score to 8-1, and Zach Jackson, whose towering shot was estimated to have traveled 422 feet.
The run-rule probably messed a bit with Chris Pollard’s plans for his pitching staff.
Pollard started Kyle Johnson (1-2, 5.48 ERA), who got the win – his final scoreline: five innings, one run, three hits, five Ks, no walks.
The coach then went to his usual #1 starter, Henry Zatkowski, I assume thinking that Zatkowski would finish things out.
Instead: Z Man went two innings, giving up two hits and walking two, while striking out two.
The #3 starter, John Paone, got the ball to start Game 2, and got tagged early, giving up a three-run homer to Breckin Nace with one out in the first.
Paone ended up going three innings, giving up four runs on four hits, striking out five and walking one.
The pitching part of the Game 2 win turned into a staff day from there.
Former weekend starter Max Stammel (3-4, 6.56 ERA) ended up vulturing the win; he was charged with a run on three hits and a walk in two innings of work, striking out four.
After hitting five homers in the 11-1 win in Game 1, the ‘Hoos went homerless in scoring 14 runs in Game 2.
Final hitting stats on the day for some of the guys:
- Joe Tiroly: 5-for-9, 1 HR, 2 2Bs, 1 BB, 7 RBIs, 5 Rs
- Sam Harris: 4-for-7, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 RBIs, 4 Rs
- AJ Gracia: 4-for-10, 2 2Bs, 1 BB, 4 Rs
- Zack Jackson: 3-for-8, 1 HR, 1 3B, 2 BBs, 3 RBIs, 3 Rs
- Jake Weatherspoon: 2-for-7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R
- Harrison Didawick: 2-for-8, 1 HR, 1 3B, 1 BB, 5 RBIs, 1 R
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Chris Graham
