No. 24 Virginia (13-9, 3-5 ACC) was on the short end of a pitcher’s duel, dropping the second game of a three-game series, 1-0 to Miami (11-11, 5-3 ACC) at Alex Rodriguez Park.
Miami broke through with eventual game-deciding run in the bottom of the second when Romy Gonzalez tripled to left center, scoring Issac Quinones. Left fielder Charlie Cody had trouble tracking the ball off the bat and it dropped over his head near the warning track. Gonzalez attempted to score after the relay throw got away from catcher Caleb Knight (Checotah, Okla.) but pitcher Daniel Lynch (Henrico, Va.) alertly flipped the ball to the plate to prevent a second run.
Lynch put together another stellar effort on the mound, matching a career-high that he set last week with 11 strikeouts. He allowed eight hits and issued only one walk over seven innings pitched. He now leads the team with four quality starts this season.
Miami starting pitcher Evan McKendry was just as good and limited the Cavaliers to just three hits. He fanned a career-best, 12 batters over seven innings of work. For the game, Virginia struck out a season-high, 13 times.
Making his third start in center field, Cayman Richardson (Mechanicsville, Va.) saved two runs with a pair of outfield assists. He started an 8-6-1-2 put out at the plate in the game-deciding play that prevented a second run and later gunned down Gonzalez trying to score from second on a single in the fifth.
The series victory by Miami was the first over Virginia since 2009 and the first time Virginia has been shut out the season.
The series finale will take place on Sunday (March 25) at Alex Rodriguez Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be carried live on ACC Network Extra. Sophomore Bobby Nicholson will be on the hill for Virginia and he will be opposed by right-hander Andrew Cabezas.
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Chris Graham
