Virginia routs Duke in series finale

Seeing pitching coach Karl Kuhn stroll to the mound just six pitches into a contest typically spells disaster for one of Virginia’s
starting pitchers.
That was not the case for Robert Morey.
After opening the game with six consecutives pitches outside the strike zone, Virginia’s No. 3 starter managed to block out a rough beginning and hurled a gem as the Cavaliers dominated Duke 12-1 at Davenport Field.
With the victory, No. 11 Virginia claimed the three-game series against the Blue Devils and improved to 37-10-1 overall and 15-9-1 in the ACC. Duke (33-19, 13-14) was outscored 19-1 in the final 11 innings of the series.
“I knew that I was hitting all my spots in warm-ups, but when I started the game I was missing left and right and I was still trying to get a feel for it,” Morey said. “Coach K settled me down and got me to focus on what I needed to do and that was to pitch strikes and try to induce ground balls.”
Morey pitched with a purpose.
Knowing that Sunday’s contest marked senior day, the right-handed pitcher longed to do his part to
ensure that three seldom-used fourth-year players (catcher Will Campbell, pitcher Brad Grove and pitcher Will Campbell) could play in a lopsided affair.
It happened after Morey scattered four hits and allowed one earned run over seven full innings.
“It was senior day … and I was thinking, ‘I want to get them in the game,’” said Morey, who stands at 2-0. “It’s not something that you can do in the first inning but I wanted to give those guys the ball.
“It was a combination of things and it just worked out that way.”
Morey had help — Virginia pounded out 13 hits off six Duke pitchers, including starter Jonathan Foreman (2-2).
After trading runs in the first two innings, the Cavaliers chased Foreman from the game as John Hicks lifted an offering into the bleachers in left field. It was Hicks’ fifth homer.
“They had been mixing and matching to me all weekend and he got behind on me and threw me a fastball up and in,” said Hicks, who got a rare start in left field. “I kind of got under it a little bit but the wind helped it out.”
Jarrett Parker, who finished 4 for 6 and drove in five runs, also added a grand slam in the seventh inning on a fastball from reliever Ben Grisz. Parker, who drew a roaring ovation for a diving catch in center, currently has 14 home runs.
It was more than enough offensive support for Morey.
“I thought after that first inning that Robert really settled in and pitched great baseball,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “We needed that kind of outing out of him. We had used our bullpen quite a bit the first two days.
“He was throwing his slider for strikes, pitching with his fastball and that’s four really good outings for him in a row now. I know he has a lot of confidence coming into the stretch run here.”
After closing out their home schedule on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Virginia Commonwealth, the Cavaliers will open their final league series at Virginia Tech on Thursday.
Virginia enters the series trailing North Carolina
(17-9) and Georgia Tech
(16-8-1) in the league’s Coastal Division standings.