TCU eliminates Virginia from College World Series behind strong pitching performances
TCU will play Oral Roberts on Tuesday to try and extend their season
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sam Stoutenborough and two relievers limited Virginia to five hits, Cole Fontenelle drove in two runs and TCU eliminated the Cavaliers from the College World Series with a 4-3 win Sunday.
The Horned Frogs (43-23) will try to extend their stay when they play Tuesday against Oral Roberts. ORU beat TCU 6-5 in the CWS opener.
"I think everybody was wondering, after the punch to the gut on Friday, how they were going to respond?" coach Kirk Saarloos said. "I didn’t have any question about how they were going to respond. I could see it on the bus. I could see it on Saturday at our practice. ... We outlasted them."
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TCU pitcher Sam Stoutenborough throws a pitch against Virginia in the first inning of a baseball game at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
Virginia (50-15) lost a second straight one-run game and went 0-2 for the first time in six CWS appearances. Five of the first six CWS games have been decided by one run.
"Two one-run losses certainly hurts, and I feel for our guys because they’ve had a terrific year," Cavaliers coach Brian O'Connor said. "That said, we didn’t win, and our goal is to win here in Omaha and have a chance to win a national championship. We certainly fell short of that."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Cavaliers entered the game batting a nation-leading .334 for the season, but they never found a rhythm against Stoutenborough, Garrett Wright (3-2) and Ben Abeldt.
Wright, who typically enters games late and throws fewer than 25 pitches, was called on for middle relief and threw 43, his second most in an outing this season.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TCU outfielder Elijah Nunez (1) celebrates his run with Tre Richardson against the Virginia in a baseball game at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
"I just wanted the baseball," Wright said. "I just wanted to give our team the best chance to win. And so 'Loos thought it was the best idea to come in earlier and get it to Ben in the back end. That’s what I did."
Virginia starter Connelly Early (12-3), who came in having allowed two earned runs in 13 1/3 innings in the NCAA Tournament, gave up single runs in the first and third innings and was relieved by Brian Edgington to start the sixth.
Edgington, who pitched a complete game in the super regional-clinching win over Duke last week, allowed a base hit and walk before Elijah Nunez’s two-out single gave the Frogs a 3-1 lead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ethan Anderson homered leading off the seventh — Virginia’s first hit since the first inning — but the Frogs got that run back the next inning when 9-hole batter Austin Davis drove a ball over center fielder Ethan O’Donnell for an RBI double.
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Virginia pitcher Connelly Early throws a pitch against TCU in the first inning of a baseball game at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
Virginia was within a run in the eighth when Harrison Didawick singled, stole second, moved over on a fly and came home on O'Donnell's RBI groundout.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Abeldt pitched the ninth for his second save. He struck out .400-hitter Kyle Teel and got Anderson to ground out before Casey Saucke singled up the middle and took second when center fielder Elijah Nunez bobbled the ball. Abeldt struck out Anthony Stephan to end the game.
TCU, which lost 6-5 to Oral Roberts on Friday, has won at least one game in each of its six CWS appearances.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TCU second baseman Tre Richardson (0) makes the out against Virginia runner Ethan ODonnell (2) in the first inning of a baseball game at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
Fontenelle, batting .519 in the NCAA Tournament, drove in runs with a sacrifice fly and groundout.
Virginia had four three-up, three-down innings and was 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
"We just weren’t competitive enough in our approach in those at-bats," O'Connor said. "I thought we did a terrific job managing the innings from a pitching and defensive standpoint. TCU left 12 runners on base, so that’s a testament to our guys that they buckled down and didn’t let the big inning happen. That gave us a chance."