Sometimes, it’s just not your night. And unfortunately for the Cavaliers, they just so happened to have one of “those nights” when they had the opportunity of a lifetime to play at historic Fenway Park.
No. 14 Virginia (31-12, 12-10 ACC) managed just six hits and matched a season-low with only two runs scored in a disappointing 8-2 loss to Boston College (21-19, 8-14 ACC) in the annual ALS Awareness Game on Thursday night at Fenway Park.
It was Virginia’s first time in program history playing a regular season game at an MLB ballpark, but the nation’s fifth-ranked scoring offense just never showed up. The Cavaliers didn’t record a hit until the fourth inning and didn’t score until the eighth. By then, it was too little, too late.
UVA’s lack of offensive production squandered a quality start from Massachusetts native Evan Blanco, who grew up a Boston Red Sox fan and watched many games at Fenway. Blanco did his part, striking out seven batters and giving up four runs on five hits in six innings of work, an outing that usually would be good enough to merit a victory given Virginia’s usual offensive numbers.
Instead, the Eagles barely even needed the few runs they got off of Blanco to come away with the win. Boston College got on the board in the bottom of the third on a solo home run from Parker Landwehr and two more in the fourth on another home run from Vince Cimini. BC starter A.J. Colarusso, meanwhile, allowed only one hit and three walks in four scoreless innings.
The score remained 3-0 until the Eagles scored another run on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the seventh. Boston College threatened further damage, but Cullen McKay, the fourth pitcher of the inning for the Cavaliers, picked up a key strikeout to end the frame.
Virginia finally got on the board in the top of the eighth as Harrison Didawick hit a triple and scored on a Henry Godbout sacrifice fly to strengthen his place as the ACC’s leader in runs scored.
Boston College put the nail in the coffin with a four-run eighth inning, as McKay walked in a run and gave up a two-run single and Matthew Buchanan hit a batter with the bases loaded to make it 8-1.
UVA got one final run in the top of the ninth as Casey Saucke hit a two-out double and scored on a Henry Ford single. But that was all the Cavaliers could muster in one of their quietest offensive performances of the season.
Virginia will look to get back on track as the series moves over to Harrington Athletic Village in Chestnut Hill for games 2 and 3. First pitch for Friday’s game 2 is set for 3pm on ACC Network Extra.