Virginia’s College World Series run ends with 7-3 loss to Florida State

Virginia’s potent offense never really got going. The Cavaliers were the first team knocked out of the eight-team tournament; they were held to five runs in their two losses.

The Cavaliers arrived here averaging 9.4 runs and hitting .336. But after being held to five hits Friday in a 3-2 loss to North Carolina, the Cavaliers managed 10 on Sunday — eight singles and two doubles — but left nine runners on base.

“We just need to be more opportunistic,” Coach Brian O’Connor said. “We didn’t do it at the right time.”

O’Connor’s Cavaliers have lost their past six CWS games dating from 2021. Four of those were by one run.

It was a quick end to a successful NCAA postseason for the Cavaliers (46-17), who cruised through the Charlottesville regional with three straight wins before sweeping Kansas State in a super regional to secure their seventh CWS appearance. After another 0-2 showing, their title from 2015 remains their only championship.

Jay Woolfolk got the start Sunday and allowed two runs in 3⅓ innings. Fellow right-hander Joe Savino gave up five runs in 1⅔ innings of relief.

Both teams were looking to rebound from walk-off losses Friday. The Cavaliers fell when the Tar Heels got a two-out RBI single from all-American outfielder Vance Honeycutt in the ninth inning. That same day, Florida State (48-16) led by three in the ninth before Tennessee pieced together four two-out hits to win, 12-11.

“This team’s response of playing arguably the best game we’ve played this year pretty much sums up what’s in that dugout,” Seminoles Coach Link Jarrett said. “And it’s not easy to go to bed after [Friday’s loss].”

Virginia and Florida State had met three weeks earlier in the ACC tournament, with the Seminoles prevailing, 12-7. On Sunday, Florida State gradually pulled away, with a four-run fifth inning being the biggest blow.

Florida State starter Carson Dorsey settled in after allowing hits to three of Virginia’s first six batters. After Harrison Didawick’s one-out double in the second, Dorsey retired the next nine Cavaliers. That gave the Seminoles time to heat up at the plate.

After James Tibbs III drew a bases-loaded walk in the third, Ferrer hit the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth into the bleachers in left field for a 2-0 Florida State lead.

In Virginia’s half of the decisive fifth, a hit by pitch and a walk put two runners on with one out. But a flyout and a lineout ended that threat.

The first two Seminoles flied out in the bottom half before Florida State pieced together a four-run rally. After a double and a walk, Marco Dinges made it 3-0 with a single. Ferrer followed with a high drive that just cleared the fence in left for a three-run homer and a 6-0 lead.

“Hitting is very contagious,” Ferrer said. “We see the guys in front of you that are putting up good at-bats and they’re having success. It means the game plan that we’re going up to the plate with is working.”

“They were very, very opportunistic,” O’Connor said.

The Seminoles’ lead grew to 7-0 before Virginia began chipping away. The Cavaliers strung together four singles in the seventh, including RBI hits by Henry Godbout and Saucke, to make it 7-2. Anthony Stephan added a double in the eighth that made it a four-run game.

The Cavaliers had a runner on base in the ninth when Saucke hit a line drive to Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise, who threw to first for a game-ending — and season-ending — double play.

“We had our chances to capitalize,” O’Connor said. “… Sometimes the game can be tough and cruel to you, like it was this weekend. But it doesn’t take away from the season that Virginia baseball had and who we will be moving forward.”