OMAHA, Neb. — After scoring 30 runs in three super regional games to reach their sixth College World Series the past 15 years, the Virginia Cavaliers couldn’t come up with the big hit needed Sunday to extend their stay in Omaha.
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)
