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No. 11 UVA splits doubleheader with Notre Dame

Chris Graham

The No. 11 UVA baseball team split a doubleheader with Notre Dame Friday at Davenport Field. Virginia (31-10, 11-9 ACC) won the opener, 14-4, before the Fighting Irish (18-21, 8-12) rebounded for an 8-2 victory in the nightcap.

NOTE: The series finale Saturday has been moved to an 11 a.m. start time because of expected inclement weather. The game airs on ACC Network Extra, which is available to authenticated subscribers of ESPN3 through WatchESPN and the ESPN app.

Fans with tickets for the Saturday game that cannot attend the rescheduled game may: (a) exchange their ticket in advance for a General Admission ticket to any other regular season game by calling the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 542-8821 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm., or (b) bring their ticket stubs to the gate for General Admission seating at any remaining regular season home game, subject to seat availability at the time of arrival or (c) exchange their ticket for a General Admission ticket to a Virginia men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and/or volleyball games within the calendar year based on availability. This exchange can happen through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in advance or at the ticket window of that facility on game day.

Game 1: Virginia 14, Notre Dame 4
Virginia racked up 17 hits in the opener of the doubleheader as seven of the nine starters recorded at least two hits. Ernie Clement (Jr., Rochester, N.Y.) and Cameron Simmons (Jr., Royersford, Pa.) each had three-hit games.

UVA starting pitcher Adam Haseley (Jr., Windermere, Fla.) grinded through six innings and limited Notre Dame to two runs and four hits to earn the win. Haseley (6-1) walked three and struck out five. He also went 2-for-6 with three RBI at the plate. Notre Dame’s Brandon Bielak (2-6) allowed eight runs (six earned), 10 hits and two walks in three innings in taking the loss.

Notre Dame bolted to a 2-0 first-inning lead on a leadoff homer from Nick Podkul and an RBI single from Ryan Lidge, but UVA answered with run-scoring hits from Haseley and Pavin Smith (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) in the bottom of the inning.

Virginia scored multiple runs in five of its first six innings, including three runs in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings. In the second inning, UVA took the lead when Notre Dame third baseman Kyle Fiala threw errantly home to allow Nate Eikhoff (So., Bristow, Va.) to score, and UVA followed with an RBI single from Andy Weber (So., Aurora, Ohio) and a run-scoring grounder from Haseley for a 5-2 lead.

The Cavaliers added three in the third inning on RBI singles from Clement and Haseley as well as a sac fly from Weber. UVA tacked on three more in the fourth inning on one play as Simmons singled to right field to score Robbie Coman (Gr., Lake Worth, Fla.), and the ball rolled under the glove of Jake Shepski, all the way to the wall, allowing Caleb Knight (Jr., Checotah, Okla.) and Simmons to round the bases for an 11-2 lead.

UVA added three in the sixth, loading the bases with none out, with each runner scoring via wild pitches from reliever Anthony Holubecki.

Notre Dame got a two-run triple from Fiala in the seventh to wrap up the scoring.

Game 2: Notre Dame 8, Virginia 2
Notre Dame scored four runs with two outs in the second inning and never looked back as it rolled to an 8-2 win to earn the doubleheader split. UVA was limited to seven hits, all coming after the fifth inning.

Notre Dame starter Michael Hearne kept UVA off balance throughout the game, taking a no-hitter in the sixth and a shutout into the ninth. He allowed two earned runs, six hits and two walks while striking out six as he earned the win and improved to 3-2.

Virginia starter Derek Casey (Jr., Mechanicsville, Va.) worked two-plus innings, giving up four earned runs and four hits while walking three. Casey suffered his first loss of the year, falling to 3-1.

The Fighting Irish took a 4-0 lead in the second inning, doing all of its damage after two were out. After Casey issued a pair of walks, Daniel Jung ripped a three-run homer to right. Shepski then walked and scored on a Podkul double.

Notre Dame added a run in the fifth on an RBI double from Matt Vierling.

UVA went hitless until starting the sixth inning with three straight hits to load the bases with none out, but Hearne struck out Weber and then got Haseley to ground into a double play to end the threat and turn the momentum.

In the next half inning, Notre Dame blew the game open with three runs, capped by a two-run single by Fiala through a drawn-in infield, for an 8-0 lead.

UVA got to Hearne in the ninth as Weber hit a leadoff single and scored on a Haseley double. Sean Guenther took over and retired Smith before Coman lined a run-scoring single to right. UVA loaded the bases with two outs, but Guenther got Jake McCarthy (So., Scranton, Pa.) to ground into a fielder’s choice to end it.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

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