Sheesh 🤯
A no-doubter in the first inning from @JakeGelof. He breaks his own single season RBI record in the process with Nos. 82 & 83
📺: ACCNX pic.twitter.com/4RXeDA3lrS
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 20, 2023
Virginia
No. 21 Virginia Wins Coastal Division Outright After Sweep
ATLANTA, Ga. – No. 21 Virginia (44-11, 19-11 ACC) won the ACC Coastal Division Championship outright after the Cavaliers completed the three-game sweep of Georgia Tech (30-25, 12-18 ACC) with an 8-7 victory on Saturday (May 20). The Cavaliers lock up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament and won nine-consecutive games to close the regular season.
The Cavaliers will be pooled with seventh-seeded North Carolina and 11th-seeded Georgia Tech in the upcoming ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. Game times and dates will be announced by the conference on Sunday (May 21).
Jake Gelof continued his assault on the Virginia record books by going 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI. His 21st and 22 home runs of the season move him into a tie with Brian Buchanan for the most in single season in program history. He also broke his own single-season RBI record and upped his season total to 84. The multi-home run effort was his second of the season and school-record, seventh of his career.
Jack O’Connor was credited with his sixth win after he retired all seven batters he faced in relief before giving way to Jay Woolfolk in the ninth inning. Woolfolk registered his ninth save and second in as many days.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Gelof got the UVA offense started three batters into the game. He launched a two-run homer over the left field wall to give the Cavaliers an early advantage.
- Colin Tuft plated the third UVA run in the second inning with an RBI ground out the scored Anthony Stephan.
- The Yellow Jackets swarmed back by scoring the next five runs between the second and fifth innings. A total of 11 of Georgia Tech’s 17 hits came between the second and fifth innings. Only three of the 17 on the day went for extra bases.
- The Cavaliers erased Georgia Tech’s 5-3 lead with a three-run rally in the sixth inning. Tuft delivered the go-ahead single in the frame, scoring both Henry Godbout and Casey Saucke.
HOOS IN FRONT!!! Colin Tuft with a two-RBI single to give UVA the led in the 6th!
📺: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/1T4A8jJYE0
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 20, 2023
- The one-run advantage did not hold as Tech’s Kristian Campbell came around to score on a sac fly by Stephen Reid in the bottom half of the sixth. The Cavaliers escaped further damage with no outs and the bases loaded thanks to reliever Bradley Hodges who fanned two batters and induced an inning ending groundout.
- The momentum of Hodges’ effort carried over into the seventh as Gelof left the yard for the second time to break a 6-6 stalemate.
NO. 2️⃣2️⃣ FOR NO. 2️⃣2️⃣!!!
Jake Gelof with his second homer of the game gives us the lead and matches the program’s single season HR mark!
📺: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/D57O3vHLQD
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 20, 2023
- The Cavaliers scored what proved to the winning run in the eighth inning when Griff O’Ferrall worked a 3-2 count before depositing a single to left that allowed Godbout to score the eighth run of the day.
- Georgia Tech scored run on three hits in the ninth and had the winning run on second base but Woolfolk struck out the final two batters to complete the save.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Virginia’s 44 regular season wins are the second-most in UVA history. The program record of 45, has been achieved four times (2006, 2010, 2011, & 2013).
- UVA’s 19 ACC wins are the most since 2016.
- The Cavaliers win their first Coastal Division Championship since 2011. The Cavaliers have either been first or second in the Coastal Division 10 of the last 14 years.
- Virginia is 5-2 in one-run games this year. Saturday was UVA’s first one-run affair since April 23 at Notre Dame.
- This weekend marked the fourth ACC series sweep of the season for the Cavaliers.
UP NEXT
Virginia will be the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. The Cavaliers will be in Pool B with North Carolina and Georgia Tech. Times and dates for pool play is scheduled to be announced on Saturday.
Virginia
Obituary for Virginia Frances Stoots at Beckley Peace Chapel
Virginia
15-year-old accused of shooting teen near Lake Edward in Virginia Beach
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A 15-year-old boy is charged with shooting a teen over a week ago near Lake Edward in Virginia Beach, police say.
The shooting happened just before 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 10 in the 5000 block of W. Hastings Arch.
Police say officers responded to the shooting following an alert from ShotSpotter, which is technology that can detect gunshots.
Watch related coverage: Suspect arrested in deadly shooting at busy Portsmouth intersection
Suspect arrested in deadly shooting at busy Portsmouth intersection
Officers then found a 15-year-old boy from Virginia Beach who had been shot, police say. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Last Thursday, police charged a boy — also a 15-year-old from Virginia Beach — in connection to the shooting. He’s charged with malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, police added.
The shooting is still under investigation. Police ask anyone with information to call detectives at 757-385-4101 or Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
Virginia
Bowl Projections: West Virginia’s Stock Takes Big Hit Following Latest Loss
Another wasted opportunity at home for the West Virginia Mountaineers this past weekend as they fell to the Baylor Bears, 49-35.
Much of the conversation entering the week was about who head coach Neal Brown would start at quarterback. He turned back to Garrett Greene, who had an okay day throwing the football but did add over 120 yards on the ground to help fuel the Mountaineers’ offensive attack. It wasn’t his best overall performance, but it was more than enough to win.
Unfortunately, West Virginia’s defense returned to its struggling ways, allowing 512 yards of offense, 329 of which came through the air. Baylor’s 35 first-half points were the most of any Big 12 team in a league game this season.
With the loss, the Mountaineers essentially eliminated themselves from a spot in the Big 12 championship game, and their bowl stock took a massive hit.
Action Network: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Army
Athlon Sports: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Tulane
CBS Sports: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Army
College Football Network: SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs. East Carolina
College Football News: AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Vanderbilt
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Washington
ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Louisiana
West Virginia On SI: AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Arkansas
The Mountaineers have two games remaining in the regular season and must notch one more win to become bowl-eligible. This week, they’ll play host to the UCF Knights, who were everyone’s dark horse to win the Big 12 back in August. After getting out to a 3-0 start, the Knights lost five straight.
Despite most sportsbooks opening this week’s game with UCF as the favorite, I like West Virginia’s chances to get the win. They are a run-heavy team, and that’s the one thing the Mountaineer defense does fairly well.
If they fail to collect win No. 6 this weekend, it’ll all come down to their trip to Lubbock the following week. Texas Tech has Oklahoma State this Saturday and will likely be gunning for win No. 8 when West Virginia comes to town. If the Red Raiders win out, that will be their best regular season finish since 2009.
1. Valero Alamo Bowl vs Pac-12, Saturday, Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. EST, ABC
2. Pop-Tarts Bowl vs ACC/ND, Saturday, Dec. 28, 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC
3. TaxAct Texas Bowl vs SEC, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
4. AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs SEC, Friday, Dec. 27, 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
5. Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs Big Ten, Thursday, Dec. 26, 5:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
6. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Pac 12, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:15 p.m. EST, ESPN
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
Traylon Ray Undergoes Surgery: What Does This Mean for the WVU Passing Game?
MAILBAG: Will WVU Fire Neal Brown? Is Money an Issue? + 24 Other Questions
West Virginia Enters Final Home Game of 2024 Season as Underdogs to a 4-6 UCF Team
Between The Eers: The Morning After Baylor
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