Andrew Abbott struck out nine in six and a third scoreless innings, and got support in the form of four long balls, in a 14-1 Virginia win over top seed Notre Dame on Friday in Charlotte.
The win advances eighth-seeded UVA (29-22) to the ACC Tournament semifinals to face Duke (30-20) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The ‘Hoos have now won seven of their last eight as they continue their late-season push for an NCAA Tournament bid that seemed all but a fancy back on April 1, when the team’s record stood at 11-14 overall, and 4-12 in the ACC.
Virginia has gone 18-8 since, and is now playing not for its postseason future, but for seeding in next week’s NCAA regional round.
Abbott (8-5, 2.63 ERA) surrendered five hits, and just one Notre Dame (30-11) runner reached third during his stint, which he wrapped in 101 pitches, 67 of them strikes.
He got all the offense he needed in the top of the second, with Nic Kent and Alex Tappen blasting two-run homers, and Jake Gelof adding a solo shot, off Irish starter John Michael Bertrand (7-2, 3.33 ERA), who wouldn’t even record an out in the frame before getting the hook.
Virginia added a run in the fourth on an RBI single from Devin Ortiz, three more in the fifth on a three-run homer from Zack Gelof, then five more in the ninth – on an RBI single from Marc Lebreux, a two-run double from Zack Gelof and a two-run single from Chris Newell.
Notre Dame got on the board in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out, two-strike RBI single from Danny Neri.
Looking ahead to the matchup with Duke, the two teams met for a three-game series at Davenport Field in April, with the Cavaliers taking two of the three – 9-3 on April 24, behind a solid outing from Abbott, and 4-3 on April 24, with Mike Vasil getting the win with six innings of strong work.
Duke also comes in on a hot streak – the Blue Devils have won their last 10 all told, including a 12-1 win over Florida State on Wednesday and a 3-2 win over Miami on Thursday in the ACC Tournament.
Story by Chris Graham
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