Virginia rallied for eight runs in the ninth on Saturday, then put away Cal early on Sunday with a nine-run second, on the way to a weekend series win on the Left Coast.
UVA (12-6, 3-3 ACC) trailed 7-2 entering the ninth on Saturday, but loaded the bases off Cal reliever Oliver de la Torre.
David Shaw relieved de la Torre, but Shaw hit Aiden Teel (.317/.456/.460, 1 HR, 8 RBIs) with his first pitch, then walked Aiden Harris (.400/.500/.600, 0 HR, 2 RBIs) to make it 7-4, still with nobody out.
Trey Wells (.286/.361/.536, 1 HR, 9 RBIs) struck out ahead of Eric Becker (.347/.420/.520, 2 HR, 16 RBIs) reaching on an infield single, which plated another run to get the score to 7-5.
Henry Ford (370/.413/.521, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs) grounded out in the hole to second for out #2, but the out scored another UVA run, getting the ‘Hoos to within 7-6
With two outs and a 2-2 count, James Nunnallee (.277/.410/.340, 0 HR, 10 RBIs) was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, ahead of back-to-back two-RBI doubles from Chone James (.389/.476/.444, 0 HR, 8 RBIs) and Walker Buchanan (.455/.455/.818, 1 HR, 3 RBIs).
Cal rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth before Matt Lanzendorfer (2-1, 2 saves, 2.45 ERA) closed things down to finish out the 10-8 win.
Sunday’s rubber game was over early. Ford led off the second with a solo homer, and Henry Godbout (.306/.398/.444, 1 HR, 13 RBIs) closed out the nine-spot with a two-out grand slam.
Buchanan added a solo shot in the third that made it 10-1 UVA, in support of Evan Blanco (1-0, 3.86 ERA), who notched his first win of the season with a five-inning effort in which he gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, striking out four.
Virginia returns to the diamond on Wednesday with a game at 4 p.m. at The Dish against Richmond.
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Chris Graham
