The MU baseball team (3-7) came away with a victory against top-ten nationally ranked program the University of Virginia (7-4) on Sunday, beating the Cavaliers 6-4.
The victory against number eight seed UVA is the first top-ten defeat in program history for the Hawks, and the first win against a nationally ranked opponent since they beat sixteenth ranked East Carolina University in 2010.
Coming off of an eleven-inning 11-10 loss to the Cavaliers on Saturday, MU started junior pitcher Ricky Dennis on the mound, and the 6’9” right-hander held UVA to two runs in six innings, giving him his first win of the season. Left-handed redshirt sophomore Justin Andrews tossed three innings in relief to seal the victory and earn the save.
“Our team really battled today and showed a great deal of resiliency, especially after yesterday,” head coach Dean Ehehalt said. “We answered the bell today. Ricky Dennis was excellent and of course Justin Andrews was solid.”
MU’s offense was led by junior outfielder Chris Gaetano and junior infielder Grant Lamberton, both recording three hits on the day.
UVA struck first blood in the bottom half of the second when freshman infielder Ryan Karstetter doubled down the left field line and later scored on freshman infielder Nate Eikoff’s single.
However, MU would strike back in the third with three runs of their own on four hits, giving the Hawks a lead that they didn’t surrender.
The Cavaliers would answer with a run in the next half inning and a run in the seventh. But an RBI single by redshirt junior outfielder Dan Shea in the fifth kept the MU lead at one, making the score 4-3 going into the eighth inning.
To start the eighth, Gaetano singled to center and moved to third on a double by junior catcher Ryan Bailey. Following a groundout and a walk to senior infielder Sean Arnott to load the bases, Lamberton blasted a single through the right side to bring in Gaetano. Later that inning, senior outfielder Christian Holland forced a walk to bring in Lamberton to give MU a 6-3 lead and cap off the scoring for the Hawks.
“I am very proud of our team,” Ehehalt said. “This is not an easy environment to come into and play well as The University of Virginia baseball program is one of excellence and class.”
MU will look to keep the momentum rolling with another preseason series against George Washington University in Washington, D.C. this weekend.
PHOTO COURTESY of Dan Stambaugh
