April 21, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — The Irish jumped out to a 2-0 lead on No. 19 Virginia on Friday afternoon, but couldn’t contain the potent Cavalier offense and dropped a 14-4 contest in game one of a doubleheader.
Nick Podkul homered to start the game, driving the fourth pitch of the afternoon over the bleachers in left field. Ryan Lidge added an RBI single in the first to make it 2-0. Kyle Fiala contributed a two-run triple in the seventh. Ryan Lidge contributed a pair of hits.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers scored in each of the first four innings en route to the victory.
Key Innings
Top First
Podkul turned on the fourth pitch of the game and hammered it over the bleachers in left for a leadoff home run, the first for the Irish since 2015. After UVA retired the next two hitters, Vierling drilled a double to the gap in left-center and Lidge followed with a single through the right side to score Vierling.
Bottom First
Virginia quickly made things all square. Ernie Clement led off with a single to right and Andy Weber sacrificed him up to second. Haseley followed with a double down the line in right to score Clement, then Pavin Smith dumped a single into shallow right-center on a check swing to score Haseley and tie the game, 2-2. After Bielak balked, he induced a pair of groundouts to end the frame.
Bottom Second
The Cavaliers took the lead in the second. Nate Eikhoff drew a one-out walk before Jake McCarthy doubled to left-center. Clement hit a chopper to third and Fiala went home, but the throw was off the mark, allowing the run to score and McCarthy to move up to third. Weber singled through the right side to score McCarthy before Haseley reached on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-2.
Bottom Third
The Cavaliers added another three-spot in the third. It started with consecutive singles from Caleb Knight and Cameron Simmons. Eikhoff bunted the runners to third and then McCarthy walked before Clement singled home a run, Weber delivered a sacrifice fly and Haseley connected for another single to make it 8-2. Bielak struck out Smith swinging to end the frame.
Game Notes
- The game started 18 minutes late, as it appeared a pop-up storm was headed for Davenport Field. After the tarp was on for roughly 20 minutes with the sun still shining, it was pulled and first pitch was at 4:20 p.m.
- Podkul’s homer to leadoff the game was the first by an Irish hitter since Mac Hudgins led off a 7-3 win at Pitt with a dinger on April 5, 2015.
- Friday marked Notre Dame’s fourth doubleheader of the year. The Irish are 1-4 in the first games of a twinbill this season, with the lone win came at Pittsburgh on March 19. The Irish are 2-2 in the second game of doubleheaders (wins over Incarnate Word and Rhode Island, losses to Florida State and Pittsburgh).
On Deck
The Irish and Cavaliers are set to play game two of the doubleheader later today. Watch on ACC Network Extra or listen on WatchND and 103.1 FM.
— ND —
Michael Scholl joined Fighting Irish Media in August 2016, coordinating communications for the baseball program and assisting with the football team at his alma mater. The South Bend native earned a degree in political science from the College of Arts & Letters in 2009 before going on to work in athletics communications at Providence College, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati.