Southern Cal starter Kyle Davis held UVA hitless into the seventh inning, but the ‘Hoos broke through in the late innings, and rode a strong effort from Connor Jones to take home a 6-1 win in the opening game of the Lake Elsinore Regional Friday afternoon.
Jones (6-2) went seven and two-thirds in the win, giving up a run on five hits, striking out four and walking two. Even as Davis (3-3) was mowing down Virginia hitters, allowing just two baserunners, both on walks, through the first six innings, Jones was matching him almost pitch-for-pitch.
Still scoreless in the seventh, the ‘Hoos got a rally going when Matt Thaiss reached on an error to lead off the inning, then Kenny Towns followed with a single. Pavin Smith sacrificed the runners to second and third, and Thaiss scored on a grounder by Robbie Coman that bounced off Davis’ glove.
Towns then scored from third on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 UVA.
The Cavs added another run in the eighth on an RBI grounder by Thaiss. Jones finally got touched up for a run in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out RBI single by Jeremy Martinez.
UVA coach Brian O’Connor called on closer Josh Sborz, who got out of the inning with a strikeout of Timmy Robinson on a 3-2 pitch.
Virginia added three insurance runs in the ninth. Ernie Clement had the big hit of the inning, a two-out, pop-fly RBI double that scored Joe McCarthy and Thomas Woodruff.
Adam Haseley scored Clement from second with an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-1.
Virginia plays the winner of the second game in Friday’s opening round at Lake Elsinore between UC-Santa Barbara and San Diego State. The first pitch is scheduled for 10 p.m. Eastern.
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Chris Graham
