UVA Baseball: ‘Hoos hold off upset-minded VMI, notch 5-2 midweek win

Virginia averaged 23 runs per game – absurd as that is – in its weekend series sweep of Wagner.

We knew that the ‘Hoos weren’t going to keep putting up video game numbers.

“You have to learn how to win all types of ballgames to be a complete club. You can’t win one way. Today was a little more of a pitcher’s duel, and you had to make some pitches to get off the field in big spots. Both teams did that,” UVA Baseball coach Chris Pollard said after his team’s 5-2 win over VMI on Tuesday.

Seven Virginia pitchers combined to hold the Keydets to two runs on six hits, with 15 strikeouts, with six walks and two hit batters.

The defense played to a clean sheet, which is nice.

The offense put up three runs in the first, when it looked like we were in store for a repeat of the weekend fireworks shows – the damage: a two-run double from Joe Tiroly, an RBI single from Harrison Didawick.

The Cavaliers tacked on another run in the second off Keydets starter Clark Driscoll – statline: one inning pitched, four runs, three earned, on five hits, a walk and a hit batter.

Senior lefty Hunter Sipe – career ERA: 7.52 – relieved, and calmed things down for VMI.

Sipe’s line for the day: four innings, 12 batters faced, three Ks.

“Credit to Sipe, who came in in relief for them, really stabilized the game and kind of kept the game within striking distance for them,” Pollard said.

Virginia starter John Paone, in his first college game, struck out five in two innings of work.

Pollard also got good outings from Kevin Jaxel (three Ks, one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings), Drew Koenen (two Ks in a scoreless inning of relief), Lucas Hartman (2.2 IP, one run, three hits, two Ks) and Tyler Kapa (1.1 IP, two Ks), who earned his first career save.

“We were able to start building some depth,” Pollard said. “You had a guy in John Paone that didn’t throw at all over the weekend, who now is all of a sudden in a very large rotation of arms that we can go to, a very talented group of arms. … We played in a close ballgame. We had to make some pitches in big spots to get off the field. All that’s great opportunities for growth.”