Eighth-ranked Virginia led 4-0 in the middle innings, but three unearned runs in the sixth got Miami back into it, and the ‘Canes took the lead for good on a three-run Daniel Cuvet homer in the seventh in a 6-5 win on Friday night.
UVA (12-2, 0-1 ACC) was cruising behind Cullen McKay (1-0, 0.54 ERA), who took a no-hitter into the sixth with a 4-0 lead.
Edgardo Villegas reached on an error by second baseman Eric Becker, ahead of Blake Cyr getting Miami’s first hit of the night, a single, to put two on with nobody out.
Cuvet struck out, then Cullen walked Dorian Gonzalez to load the bases.
Chase Hungate, in relief of Cullen, got Jason Torres to ground out to first to plate UM’s first run, and with two outs, Jack Scanlon plated two with a double to right-center.
Virginia tacked on a run in the top of the seventh on a Becker RBI double, before the two-out, three-run bomb from Cuvet off UVA reliever Blake Barker (1-1, 8.53 ERA).
Virginia had a chance to tie the game in the ninth. Harrison Didawick, whose two-run homer in the second got the ‘Hoos out to the early lead, led off the top of the ninth with a single to right, then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and got to third on a groundout to short from Jacob Ference.
Becker grounded out for the second out, and Luke Hanson flew out to right to end it.
Didawick was 2-for-3 at the plate on the night, and Anthony Stephan was 3-for-5 with an RBI double.
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Chris Graham
