UVA Baseball: Early offense leads ‘Hoos to exhibition win

UVA Baseball came away with its second victory in four days as it topped the Ontario Blue Jays, 17-3 at Disharoon Park on Monday afternoon. The Cavaliers continue their fall slate on Sunday (Oct. 6) with game one of the Orange and Blue World Series.

Virginia trailed 1-0 before posting 14 runs between the second and four innings. Virginia erupted for six-runs in the bottom of the second inning that was capped by a two-run homer by Zack Gelof (Rehoboth Beach, Del.). As part of a three-RBI afternoon junior-transfer Marc Lebreux (Sainte Anne, Quebec) added a two-run triple in the outburst.

Gelof has homered in both fall games and finished 1-for-1 with a run scored, a walk and two RBI. Lebreux reached base four times, earning three walks in a 1-for-2, three-RBI afternoon.

Cavalier starting pitcher Mike Vasil (Wellesley, Mass.) pitched the top of the first and struck out all three batters he faced. After Ontario plated its final two runs in the fourth (one earned), the Virginia bullpen tossed 6.1 innings of scoreless baseball to close out the game. Graduate student Evan Sperling (Poquoson, Va.) struck out five of the six batters he faced between the fifth and sixth innings. Cristian Sanchez (Centreville, Va.), Jake Hodorovich (Scott Township, Pa.) and Blake Bales (Schoolcraft, Mich.) worked the final four innings, each fanning a pair of batters.

Freshman Evan Sleight (Framingham, Mass.) equaled Lebreux for a game-high three RBI. Sleight and classmate Chris Newell (Newtown Square, Pa.) each put forth multi-hit efforts for the Cavaliers. Newell finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI.

The final non-Orange and Blue exhibition of the fall is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 13 at noon against East Carolina. The Orange and Blue World Series begins Sunday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.