Freshman Henry Ford doubled high off the wall in right-center, plating two runs for #14 Virginia in a 5-4 walk-off win over Wichita State on Friday in Jacksonville.
Ford, a Charlottesville native who hit .316 with seven homers with the Charlottesville Tom Sox in the Valley League last summer, was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles on the day.
Virginia (5-0) trailed pretty much from the get-go, before rallying to tie the score at 3-3 in the eighth, on a ground ball off the bat of Griff O’Ferrall that was misplayed by Shockers shortstop Camden Johnson, whose throwing error on the grounder allowed Henry Godbout to score.
Wichita State (2-2) regained the lead in the top of the 10th on a solo homer from leftfielder Derek Williams.
In the bottom half of the 10th, Indiana transfer Bobby Whalen led off by reaching on a 10-pitch walk. Andrew Stephan singled, advancing Whalen to third.
Ethan Anderson was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Ford, whose double on a 2-0 pitch from Wichita State reliever Hunter Holmes scored Whalen and then Stephan for the walk-off.
The comeback made a winner of UVA reliever Aidan Teel (1-0, 2.45 ERA), who gave up a run, the Williams solo shot in the top of the 10th, in two innings of relief, striking out five and walking two.
Evan Blanco (0-0, 3.68 ERA) went four and third innings in the start for Virginia, giving up three runs on four hits, striking out five.
Ford, with his three-hit day, is now slashing .550/.625/1.000 on the season, going 11-for-20 at the plate with two homers and eight RBIs.
Whalen was 3-for-4 on the day, and is now slashing .643/.706/.857, going 9-for-14 with seven RBIs.
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Chris Graham
