OK, so, saying it up front, UVA has problems with the pitching staff.
But for a second time in three days, the ‘Hoos were able to outslug the other ACC team that played in last year’s College World Series.
#15 Virginia rallied from a 10-5 deficit to defeat #7 Wake Forest, 11-10, in 10 innings on Sunday, to take the weekend series of ACC megapowers.
The comeback began with a solo homer from Jacob Ference in the seventh that got the score to 10-6.
The solo shot was Ference’s second of the day, and his fourth of the season.
In the eighth, Harrison Didawick, got it to 10-9 with a three-run shot, his team-leading ninth homer of the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, Casey Saucke, with two outs, down in the count 0-2, homered to right to knot the score at 10-10.
Kevin Jaxel (3-0, 11.81 ERA) pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 10th, setting up the small-ball dramatics in the bottom half of the inning.
Didawick led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Henry Godbout, and it’s here that things got sloppy.
Ference reached on a fly ball dropped by Wake rightfielder Cam Nelson, with Didawick advancing to third on the play.
The next man up, Ethan Anderson, grounded back to pitcher David Falco (0-1, 7.59 ERA), who booted the comebacker, allowing Didawick to score from third with the winning run.
This is the good news for Virginia (16-4, 3-3 ACC).
The bad news: starter Jay Woolfolk (1-0, 7.65 ERA) had another rough outing, giving up four runs on five hits in three and a third innings.
Also with a rough outing: the former closer, Aiden Teel (2-1, four saves, 10.12 ERA), who was dinged for five runs on three hits and four walks in an inning and a third.
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Chris Graham
