JMU got its first win over a UVA Baseball team in Charlottesville since 2007 with an 8-7 win in 10 innings on Tuesday at The Dish.
The loss is the third in a row for suddenly reeling Virginia (24-10, 8-7 ACC).
This one was entirely avoidable.
Henry Zatkowski, the Opening Day starter, got the midweek start, and went four innings, and struck out eight while allowing just two hits.
The midweek bullpen that came in after him, just sucked.
Jayden Stroman didn’t get an out, and was charged with three runs, two earned, in the fifth, and Lucas Hartman was tagged for four runs, two earned, in 2.1 innings of relief.
Zatkowski left with a 4-0 lead; JMU (16-15) rallied to take a 7-4 lead with a four-run top of the seventh.
Virginia would rally to tie the game with a run in the eighth, on a Jake Weatherspoon RBI single, and a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth from Joe Tiroly.
UVA closer Tyler Kapa, who you don’t want having to go 3.1 innings in a midweek game, gave up two hits and walked a batter in the 10th, and allowed the go-ahead run to score on a wild pitch.
Virginia loaded the bases with one out in its half of the 10th off JMU reliever Griffin Madden, who had a 7.00 ERA coming in, but was able to get out of the jam by striking out Sam Harris – who was 0-for-6 on the night with five Ks – and getting Tiroly to line out to the warning track in right-center for the final out.
The five-game homestand ends with a 2-3 record, and three straight losses.
Next up: a three-game road trip to Notre Dame (15-12, 6-9 ACC) that begins on Friday.