Cavs solve White, blast Tar Heels

DURHAM, N.C. - For the first time ever, Virginia managed to get the better end of a duel with All-ACC pitcher Alex White.

The Cavaliers can thank their bats and patience at the plate and they continue to control their own destiny in a quest to return to the ACC tournament championship game.

With a 10-run inning fueling the charge, sixth-seeded Virginia whipped No. 2 North Carolina 11-1 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The contest was stopped after eight innings due the tournament’s 10-run rule.

Thanks to the most productive offensive inning of the season, Virginia (41-12-1) merely needs a win tonight over seventh-seeded Duke at 8 p.m. to advance to Sunday’s title game against Florida State. A loss would eliminate the Cavaliers from the eight-team, pool-play event due to the tiebreakers in place.

“Obviously, this was a huge win for us to have an opportunity to battle it out with Duke [tonight] to go to the title game,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “It is really one of the stranger games that I have been involved in during my coaching career.”

The unique events came during the bottom half of the third inning, as Virginia sent 15 batters to the plate, with every player in the lineup scoring at least one run.

In all, the Cavaliers registered nine hits and drew three walks off White and reliever Brian Moran. It marked the shortest outing of White’s career, as the right-hander that is considered a lock to be selected early in the first round of the MLB Draft next month retired just seven batters

White, who had not lost to Virginia in five previous showdowns, allowed eight earned runs and watched his ERA balloon to 4.84.

Virginia rookie Danny Hultzen took advantage of the offensive support. The left-hander worked 6.1 innings and allowed just five hits, two walks and one earned run, a solo homer drilled to left by UNC second baseman Levi Michael.

“Danny was brilliant tonight,” O’Connor said. “He seemed to pitch better as the contest progressed.”

Hultzen (8-1) fanned six batters in his first start in two weeks.

Virginia, which finished with 14 hits, is slated to start sophomore RHP Robert Morey on the mound today. Duke is scheduled to counter with rookie LHP Eric Pfisterer. The southpaw did not appear in the series Virginia-Duke series played earlier this season in Charlottesville.