The last point of the 2023-2024 Commonwealth Clash goes to Virginia. The Cavaliers had already wrapped up this year's version of the Clash in a landslide, but UVA baseball put the finishing touches on a dominant athletic year in the in-state rivalry by clinching the weekend series in convincing fashion.
After homering three times in Thursday's 7-3 series-opening win over the Hokies, the Cavaliers doubled that number on Friday, hitting six home runs as No. 18 Virginia (39-14, 17-12 ACC) overpowered Virginia Tech (32-19, 14-15 ACC) for a 13-3 run-rule victory in seven innings on Friday afternoon at Disharoon Park.
Virginia Tech drew first blood, as UVA starter Joe Savino gave up two singles and then an RBI double to Gehrig Ebel in the top of the first inning. Virginia went down in order in the bottom of the first, but then evened things up in the second as Harrison Didawick hit his second home run in as many games and 21st of the season.
โ Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 17, 2024๐ผ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฎ, ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐จ๐๐ง.
No. 2๏ธโฃ1๏ธโฃ for Harrison Didawick evens the game a 1!
๐บ: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/OmJHZKqphk
Savino bounced back after the early blemish to work easily through the second and third. UVA took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the third, an inning that started with Bobby Whalen and Griff O'Ferrall hitting back-to-back singles. An Ethan Anderson groundout scored Whalen, a Henry Ford single scored O'Ferrall, and then two more singles from Jacob Ference and Didawick brought home Ford to make it 4-1 Virginia.
Savino issued a pair of walks to start the fourth, but used a double-play to help himself out of the jam. The UVA bats opened things up in the fourth with three home runs in a single frame. Eric Becker hit a leadoff solo shot for his second home run of the series.
โ Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 17, 2024๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐!!!
His 8th of the year, second of the series!
๐บ: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/yyrqmslGLn
Whalen drew a walk and O'Ferrall singled and then Anderson scored them both with a three-run blast into the bullpen in right field.
โ Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 17, 2024Ethan Anderson โก๏ธ The Bringer of Rain!
๐บ: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/NRKsLxYtWT
Casey Saucke followed that up with another home run, UVA's fourth of the game and the team's 100th home run of the season. For context, the 2023 Virginia baseball team set a new program record with 83 home runs last season, breaking the previous record of 75 homers set by the 2022 Cavaliers.
โ Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 17, 2024๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ต ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฃ
Casey Saucke goes back-to-back with Anderson, its 9-1 UVA in the 4th!
๐บ: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/SOw6yQ4NQx
After another perfect inning from Savino in the top of the fifth, Virginia scored two more runs in the bottom half. How were those runs scored? You guessed it, another home run, the second of the day for Ethan Anderson to make it 11-1.
โ Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 17, 2024โ๏ธ ABs, โ๏ธ HRs for Ethan Anderson!
Hoos go up double digits in the 5th!
๐บ: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/8HpthhrUHC
The Hokies temporarily got themselves out of run-rule territory with a two-run single from Jake Slade off of Blake Barker in the top of the sixth.
UVA corrected that quickly in the bottom of the sixth, getting a sixth home run from Henry Godbout, a two-run blast to make it 13-3.
Ryan Osinski faced the minimum in the top of the seventh, issuing a walk but then inducing a 1-6-3 double-play and a fly-out to trigger the run-rule and secure Virginia's 13-3 victory.
Joe Savino earned the win with an excellent start on the mound, allowing just two earned runs on four hits in five innings of work. Ethan Anderson led the way offensively for the Cavaliers, going 2 for 4 with two home runs and six RBI. Nine different Cavaliers recorded a hit in the game and five had multi-hit games.
With UVA picking up the series-clinching win, the 2023-2024 Commonwealth Clash has concluded with Virginia beating Virginia Tech 15-7 in the year-long all-sports rivalry challenge. See the other results of the 2023-2024 Commonwealth Clash here.
Virginia will take aim at the series sweep over Virginia Tech on Saturday at 5pm. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.
