Florida State began flexing its hitting prowess in the third inning Sunday before putting together a four-run fifth inning to pull away for a 7-3 win over the Cavaliers. The loss made Virginia (46-17) the first team to be knocked out of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament for the second consecutive season.

Virginia also was in Bracket One of the 2023 CWS, where the Hoos lost 6-5 to Florida before a 4-3 setback to TCU in an elimination game. The Cavaliers are now 13-14 with one national championship (2015) in seven trips to the CWS.

Both of the Cavaliers’ losses in the 77th edition of the CWS were to ACC rivals: North Carolina (by a 3-2 score) and FSU. The Seminoles (48-16) advanced to play at 2 p.m. Tuesday against the loser of Sunday night’s UNC-Tennessee winners-bracket game.

Virginia now has lost its last six CWS games, a streak that dates to 2021. Four of those losses were by one run, including the most recent three prior to Sunday’s setback.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t win today and have an opportunity to advance,” Cavaliers coach Brian O’Connor said. “The inning where they scored four runs, there were two outs and nobody was on. We didn’t make a catch in right field, and they opened it up. They were very, very opportunistic.

“We had our chances, and sometimes we capitalized on it. But we just didn’t capitalize on it enough.”

Three home runs — including two by left fielder Jaime Ferrer — led Florida State’s mid-game power surge. Single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings surrounded that four-run fifth as FSU’s sluggers collected all seven of their hits in those middle four innings.

Those four frames helped the Seminoles overcome being set down in order in the first, second, seventh and eighth innings.

“To watch these guys play their best game of the season today was a thrill I’ll never forget here,” FSU coach Link Jarrett said. “That was beyond any experience I’ve had here. When you’re in this, it doesn’t always tee itself up for you to just go and respond. You have to execute in every phase of the game.”

The game got off to a good start for Virginia as starting pitcher Jay Woolfolk retired the first seven batters he faced — three by strikeout, three flyouts to center field and another fly ball to left field. But the last two of those flyouts were tagged hard by FSU hitters.

It took a spectacular grab by UVA center fielder Griff O’Ferrall to keep Seminoles off the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. O’Ferrall timed his jump perfectly to bring a blast by FSU first baseman Daniel Cantu back into the field and keep the senior from collecting his ninth home run of the season.

The Seminoles had adjusted to Woolfolk’s offerings early in the third inning. After that flyout to left by Alex Lodise, FSU second baseman Drew Farout hit a two-out ground-ball single between first and second base.

With two outs, center fielder Max Williams hit a bloop single to left field that moved Farout to second. Then back-to-back walks to Cam Smith and James Tibbs forced Farout home with the first run of the game.

Ferrer doubled FSU’s lead to 2-0 by putting Woolfolk’s first pitch of the fourth inning into the left-field seats. Woolfolk left the game after a one-out single by Lodise because of a knee injury. O’Connor called in Joe Savino from the bullpen to replace Woolfolk, who threw 61 pitches.

“I couldn’t tell you what really happened,” Woolfolk said. “Just like I said, a freak accident. I feel great now. I wish things would have turned out different.”

Everything that FSU produced in the pivotal fifth inning came with two outs. Smith led off with a double before Savino walked Tibbs. An RBI single by designated hitter Marco Dinges brought home Smith for a 3-0 lead.

Ferrer then stepped to the plate and clubbed his second home run in as many innings. This one was a three-run blast that doubled FSU’s lead to 6-0. Lodise led off the sixth inning with the Seminoles’ second first-pitch home run of the game.

The Cavaliers clawed back with three runs in the seventh and eighth innings. RBI singles by Henry Godbout and Casey Saucke scored Cox High graduate Ethan Anderson and Anthony Stephan, respectively. Stephan then doubled in the eighth inning to drive home Jacob Ference, who led off the inning with a single.

Stephan and O’Connor both credited FSU starting pitcher Carson Dorsey with a strong performance in his seven innings.

“I mean, as Coach O said, he was beating us with fastballs today, which isn’t very UVA-like,” Stephan said. “We take pride in our approach and work on it every day. I just saw command of three (pitches). Once you command three, it’s pretty tough at this level.”

While everyone in the UVA program was disappointed with how the weekend played out, O’Connor said there’s optimism for additional success in the near future.

“Yes, we didn’t win in Omaha,” O’Connor said. “We’re well aware of that. Although it doesn’t leave a good taste in our mouth, (it’s) more about what you have to navigate through the entire season to put yourself in the opportunity that they had.

“I don’t promise them Omaha. They can look at it and see the success that’s happened in this program, that there’s a really high-percentage chance that they’re going to have the opportunity to play in this great event. What I do promise them is that when they leave our baseball program, they will be men and they’ll be able to stand on their own two feet and fight for what they want in life.”

Tar Heels center fielder Vance Honeycutt hit a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning to bring home Jackson Van De Brake with the winning run in the first game of the 77th CWS.

The loss dropped Virginia to 46-16 heading into Sunday’s 2 p.m. elimination game against Florida State, which lost 12-11 to Tennessee as the top-seeded Volunteers scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The setback to UNC was the latest heartbreaking loss the Cavaliers and their fans have dealt with in recent trips to Omaha. Virginia lost both of its games in last year’s CWS by one run (Florida 6-5 and TCU 4-3).

UVA has also lost four of its past five CWS games by one run; the Cavaliers’ first loss in the 2021 tournament was a 6-5 setback to Mississippi State.

Despite losing on the final play of the game, head coach Brian O’Connor said how the team battled until the end stuck with him despite the Tar Heels’ heroics.

“They just did a little bit more of the little things than we did,” O’Connor said. “I’m really proud of Evan Blanco. I thought he pitched a terrific ballgame. He gave us an opportunity to win. I think we left 10 runners on base.

“We just couldn’t capitalize with runners on second and third, no outs, and got only one run to show for it. We just couldn’t get anything going to have a multiple-run inning.”

The Cavaliers indeed stranded 10 baserunners, including seven in the first four innings. After leaving one runner on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, Virginia finally ran out of chances. UNC relievers retired 10 of the last 11 batters they faced. The only player to reach base did so when hit by a pitch.

North Carolina jumped on top in the bottom of the first inning. Left fielder Casey Cook — who was 3 for 4 with a double and a run — laced a one-out single to center field before moving to third on a double by Parks Harber that rolled into the left-field corner.

Right fielder Anthony Donofrio’s groundout to the right side of the infield plated Cook and moved Harber to third base while giving UNC a 1-0 lead.

The early offense helped Carolina quickly forget a rocky top of the first as the Cavaliers had loaded the bases without putting the ball in play.

Tar Heels starter Jason DeCaro hit UVA leadoff batter Griff O’Ferrall with a pitch after getting ahead in the count 0-2. Walks to Casey Saucke and Jacob Ference loaded the bases before DeCaro struck out left fielder Harrison Didawick to end the threat.

The Cavaliers got that run back in the top of the third, but didn’t take complete advantage of the frame by leaving two more runners on base. Designated hitter Ethan Anderson singled to right-center, then advanced to third on a double by Saucke.

First baseman Henry Ford followed by dropping a single into short right field to bring home Anderson and tie the game at 1.

That’s where the score stayed until the top of the sixth inning, when Virginia took the lead. Henry Godbout coaxed a leadoff walk from Tar Heels pitcher Matt Poston before third baseman Eric Becker’s double to left field got Godbout to third base.

Then with one out, O’Ferrall launched a fly ball deep enough to center field that Godbout was able to race home with the go-ahead run.

North Carolina responded in the bottom of the seventh when second baseman Alex Madera scored on a two-out single by Cook after leading off the inning with a first-pitch single down the third-base line.

Both teams went three up, three down in the eighth inning before North Carolina (48-14) came through with its ninth-inning heroics.

O’Ferrall said the Cavaliers are optimistic they can successfully bounce back in Sunday’s elimination game against the Seminoles.

“Not let the moment get too big, not looking games ahead is the biggest thing,” O’Ferrall said. “The only thing we can control is winning the next game. Like Coach said, we need to do the small details that got us here in the first place.”

O’Connor is confident that can happen.

“We have to be better,” O’Connor said. “I know what these kids are made of. They’ve bounced back all year long. I know they’ll be better on Sunday.”

This most recent trip to Charles Schwab Field was the shortest stay possible as the Cavaliers suffered a 4-3 loss to TCU before a crowd of 24,479.

The Cavaliers (50-15) were the first team sent packing in the double-elimination CWS. Both of Virginia’s losses were by one run; Florida knocked off UVA 6-5 in Friday’s first round.

“Two one-run losses certainly hurts,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “We just couldn’t get that one more big hit that we needed to win here in Omaha. We just didn’t get enough of that this weekend.”

Virginia’s offense produced only five hits Sunday, with one apiece in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

The seventh-inning hit was a leadoff home run by Cavaliers first baseman Ethan Anderson of Virginia Beach that cut TCU’s lead to 3-2. The Horned Frogs (43-23) got that run back in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by right fielder Austin Davis that scored shortstop Anthony Silva, who led off the inning with a single to center field.

UVA again cut TCU’s advantage to one in the bottom of the eighth, when freshman left fielder Harrison Didawick from Chesapeake led off with a single and scored on a groundout by Ethan O’Donnell.

Cavaliers starting pitcher Connelly Early labored through the first inning, needing 21 pitches to get the first out as the Horned Frogs opened the game with a double down the left-field line by Elijah Nunez and a single to right-center by Karson Brown.

First baseman Cole Fontenelle hit a one-out sacrifice fly to deep right field that produced the Cavs’ first out and gave TCU its first run.

Virginia followed that TCU formula in the bottom of the first but needed only one-third the number of pitches to score its first run. Shortstop Griff O’Ferrall led off by lacing the first pitch from Sam Stoutenborough into left field; it was his 20th double of the season.

Center fielder Ethan O’Donnell stepped in and dropped a 2-0 single into center field, moving O’Ferrall to third base.

Third baseman Jake Gelof then hit a ground ball to the left of the second-base bag, but there was no chance to get O’Ferrall. That’s because he began racing to home plate on contact. Seven pitches in and Virginia had tied the game 1-1.

TCU regained the lead, 2-1, in the third inning when Bowen scored on an infield groundout after reaching base with a one-out single to center field.

Meanwhile, Stoutenborough had little trouble keeping the Cavaliers’ hitters in check. He retired the next 11 batters in order through the fourth inning.

“This game was defined by too many 1-2-3 innings,” O’Connor said. “We weren’t competitive in those at-bats.”

That streak ended when the first Virginia batter in the fifth, right fielder Casey Saucke, earned a four-pitch walk from Stoutenborough. Two outs later, Stoutenborough walked Didawick on four pitches, hastening the starter’s departure from the game for junior reliever Garrett Wright.

Wright, who earned the victory to improve to 3-2, got O’Ferrall to ground out to shortstop and end Virginia’s threat. After getting through the first four innings throwing only 49 pitches, Stoutenborough still finished with an impressive stat line — just two hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings and 64 pitches, including 38 strikes.

Brian Edgington took over in the sixth inning for Early, who racked up 101 pitches in his five innings. Bradley Hodges and Jay Woolfolk also worked for UVA in relief and were credited with two outs apiece.

TCU’s third run was charged to Edgington’s tab. Silva singled up the middle and moved to second base when Davis drew a two-out walk. Nunez then singled to right-center, which allowed Silva to sprint home for a 3-1 Horned Frogs lead and move Davis to third.

O’Connor said how the season ended shouldn’t define the Cavaliers’ season.

“It doesn’t diminish what this team accomplished,” O’Connor said. “This season speaks to what they’re made of and the type pf program we have. We’ll get back to Charlottesville and look to rebuild and be back here as soon as we can.”

College World Series

Sunday’s results

TCU 4, Virginia 3

Florida vs. Oral Roberts, late

Today’s games

Tennessee vs. Stanford, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

LSU vs. Wake Forest, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Right fielder Casey Saucke led off with a walk and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Anthony Stephan. Then with one out, Harrison Didawick tripled down the left-field line to score Saucke and put Virginia ahead 5-3.

That lead then dissolved into a 6-5 loss in the bottom of the ninth inning before a stunned crowd of 24,801 at Charles Schwab Field. Solo home runs by Florida’s Ty Evans and Wyatt Langford off UVA reliever Jake Berry tied the game at 5.

Designated hitter Luke Heyman hit a sacrifice fly to center field off the Cavaliers’ Jay Woolfolk to bring home first baseman Jac Caglianone with the winning run. Caglianone singled after Langford’s home run before shortstop Josh Rivera walked and catcher BT Riopelle reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases for Heyman.

“Their power showed in the late part of the game,” UVA coach Brian O’Connor said. “Jack Berry just couldn’t finish them off.”

Berry was the third pitcher O’Connor brought in from the bullpen after starter Nick Parker limited the Gators (51-15) to just one run on four hits through six innings.

In his 1 2/3 innings of work, Berry gave up four hits — the three home runs and a single — after facing 12 batters and throwing just 46 pitches. O’Connor said the Cavaliers were planning on leaning on their bullpen in the late innings of their series opener.

“I don’t feel great about how we finished out of our bullpen,” O’Connor said. ‘It’s been a little bit of a mixed bag all year. The plan coming into the game was if we had a lead in the eighth inning, the plan was to go with Jake Berry.

“That formula’s worked for us a lot this year. I don’t know for sure, but I would be surprised if all year that we’ve lost a game putting Jake Berry in the eighth inning or beyond with a lead.”

UVA fans left the stadium in disbelief after witnessing the Cavaliers’ streak of 93 games with a lead after the eighth inning end. A leadoff solo home run by Riopelle in the bottom of the eighth cut Virginia’s lead to 4-3 before the ninth-inning dramatics.

O’Connor finally pulled Berry with the bases loaded, and Woolfolk threw just three pitches.

Virginia will play TCU in an elimination game at 2 p.m. Sunday. The loser will be the first team knocked out of the eight-team tournament. The Horned Frogs fell 6-5 to Oral Roberts in Friday’s first game.

The come-from-behind wins by Florida and Oral Roberts were the first time that both teams earned their victories that way on Day 1 of the CWS.

Now the Cavaliers (50-14) will have to win four consecutive games to reach the best-of-three championship series scheduled to begin June 24.

Both right fielder Griff O’Ferrall and Parker said that is just what they plan to do. It was part of the conversation the team had in center field before heading to the locker room.

“That’s kind of what we talked about at the beginning, just this team has fought all year long,” O’Ferrall said. “Obviously, no one wants to lose the first game. But it is what it is and we’re going to ride with our guys no matter what.

“So basically, we’re not going to put blame or be down on ourselves. We’re just going to get back to work.”

Florida opened the scoring with a run in the second inning. Riopelle led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a single by Heyman and moved to third on a fielder’s choice.

With runners at first and third, Gators third baseman Colby Harter laced a single through the left side of the Cavaliers’ defense. That plated Riopelle and put the Gators ahead 1-0.

That run came between a pair of baserunning blunders that prematurely ended UVA’s first and third innings. O’Ferrall led off the game with a first-pitch single to left. The Cavaliers followed that hit with two outs before catcher Kyle Teel coaxed a walk from Florida starter Brandon Sproat.

O’Farrall was on his way to second when ball four turned into a wild pitch and the ball got away from Riopelle. O’Ferrall tried going to third base, but Riopelle recovered in time to throw and easily get O’Ferrall for the third out.

UVA’s third inning also ended earlier than the Cavaliers had planned. Ethan O’Donnell reached base with two outs after getting hit in the back by a pitch from Sproat. Moments later, O’Donnell got caught in a rundown trying to steal second base.

Florida couldn’t take advantage of those gaffes to extend its lead, though Sproat was pitching both effectively and efficiently through the first six innings. It took Sproat just 87 pitches to get the first 18 outs.

The junior from Pace, Florida, recorded just one more out, and that came on an RBI groundout in the seventh inning that scored Cox High graduate Ethan Anderson to tie the game at 1. Sproat threw 22 pitches in the seventh inning before giving way to the bullpen.

That was just the start of Virginia’s big inning. Three more runs came home, with the big hit being a two-run double down the left-field line by O’Ferrall that gave the Cavaliers their first lead at 3-1. He eventually scored on a single to center field by O’Donnell.