Virginia baseball’s 11-inning victory over William & Mary was anything but ordinary, with the home-standing Cavaliers coming through with the program’s first combined no-hitter in a game the visitors almost won.
Charlottesville native Bobby Nicholson, in just the second start of his young Cavalier career, tossed 5.1 innings, surrendering one run. Senior left-hander Bennett Sousa closed out the contest, pitching the final 2.2 innings to earn the win. Freshman Blake Rohm, junior Grant Donahue, senior Riley Wilson and graduate student Mack Meyer each contributed turns on the mound as well for the Wahoos.
William & Mary trailed UVA 2-0 heading into the top of the sixth, but runs in sixth and seventh innings tied the game. Thanks to three Virginia errors, the Tribe took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th. Good fortune turned back toward the Cavaliers in the bottom of the 11th, when William & Mary’s first-baseman couldn’t snag an in-the-dirt throw with two outs. Instead, UVA’s Justin Novak wound up safe at first, and Charlie Cody and Tanner Morris crossed home for the winning runs.
UVA now boasts six no-hitters in its history. Only once in the five previous no-hitters did the Cavaliers surrender a run – during Barry Collier’s effort against Mansfield State in 1974. In that game, the Hoos won 4-1.
Last night’s win adds to what has been an interesting start to the 2018 season. The Hoos are 6-3 overall but have blown big leads in two games, with Eastern Kentucky scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Hoos, 7-6, on February 23. On February 27, Virginia led VMI 10-1 after three innings only to have to hold on to capture a 10-9 victory.
