CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – In a game where runs were hard to come by, No. 7 Virginia defeated East Carolina 2-1 in the Charlottesville Regional of the NCAA Baseball tournament.
Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Kyle Teel hit a single into right field. That’s when Jake Gelof came around to score for the 1-0 lead.
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ECU didn’t have a response until the sixth inning. With two men on base, Ryley Johnson hit a soft blooper that bounced into shallow right field. While the Cavaliers were focused on getting the runner out at third, it provided enough of a distraction for the Pirates to plate the tying run to make it a 1-1 ballgame.
In the bottom of the 7th, the Cavaliers found a difference maker. With a runner on base, Ethan Anderson scored an RBI single to give Virginia the lead.
Cavaliers starting pitcher Nick Parker went 7 innings on the mound allowing just five hits, one run and racking up five strikeouts. He handed the ball off to Jake Berry who took over in the 8th. He was just as stellar. He kept the Pirates’ bats quiet, getting two strikeouts, and earning his sixth save as Virginia earned the 2-1 victory.
With that, the Cavaliers advanced to the Charlottesville Regional championship on Sunday night. They will play the winner of Sunday’s elimination game between ECU and Oklahoma.