UVA baseball wins series opener at #1 Miami, 6-5

#22 UVA scored five in the first Friday night at #1 Miami, but the Cavs had to hold off a ‘Canes rally in the ninth to win, 6-5.

A Nate Eikhoff three-run homer off Miami starter Thomas Woodrey (4-3) keyed the big first inning for Virginia (25-16, 10-9 ACC).

Connor Jones (8-1) came back out for the ‘Hoos after an 82-minute weather delay in the fifth and threw seven innings, allowing four runs, one earned, on eight hits, striking out three and walking two.

Miami (29-7, 13-4 ACC) chipped away at the early deficit, getting two in the fourth before the weather delay on an RBI groundout by Willie Abreu and a run-scoring single by Chris Barr.

UM got two more in the sixth on a solo homer by Jacob Heyward and an RBI single by Barr.

Cameron Simmons led off the ninth for UVA with a solo homer to left to push the lead back out to 6-4, but the drama was far from over.

Reliever Tommy Doyle served up a solo homer to Edgar Michelangeli to lead off the bottom of the ninth, and the Hurricanes loaded the bases with two outs before Doyle was able to induce a game-ending pop-up to second by Heyward to record his second save.

Eikhoff and Pavin Smith each had two hits for Virginia, which has now won three of its last four in the ACC, moving the Cavs into fifth in the conference heading into the weekend.