In a closely contested College World Series matchup, TCU edged out Virginia with a 4-3 win on Sunday, ending the Cavaliers' tournament run. Strong pitching performances by Sam Stoutenborough and two relievers held Virginia to just five hits, while Cole Fontenelle contributed two crucial RBIs for the Horned Frogs.
TCU's victory propels them to a Tuesday game against Oral Roberts, a rematch of their CWS opener which ORU won 6-5. Coach Kirk Saarloos praised his team's resilience, noting their determination following a tough loss earlier in the tournament.
This marks the first time Virginia (50-15) has gone 0-2 in their six College World Series appearances, with both losses coming by a single run. Coach Brian O'Connor expressed disappointment but acknowledged the team's overall successful season.
Despite leading the nation with a .334 batting average entering the game, the Cavaliers struggled to find their offensive footing against TCU's pitching trio. Garrett Wright, typically a late-game reliever, delivered a key middle relief performance, throwing 43 pitches – his second-highest count this season.
Virginia's starting pitcher, Connelly Early, surrendered single runs in the first and third innings before being replaced by Brian Edgington in the sixth. Edgington, who pitched a complete game in the super regional win against Duke, gave up a run in the sixth, putting TCU up 3-1. Although Ethan Anderson's home run in the seventh narrowed the gap, TCU responded with an RBI double by Austin Davis in the eighth.
Virginia managed to pull within one run again in the eighth, capitalizing on a single, stolen base, and a groundout by Ethan O'Donnell. However, Ben Abeldt secured the save for TCU in the ninth, striking out key batters and ending the game with a strikeout against Anthony Stephan.
Fontenelle's strong offensive performance in the NCAA Tournament continued, with his sacrifice fly and groundout driving in critical runs. Virginia's offense struggled throughout the game, going 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Coach O'Connor attributed the loss to a lack of competitive at-bats, praising his team's pitching and defense for keeping the game close despite TCU leaving 12 runners on base.
