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UVA tops Ole Miss, 4-1, advances to College World Series final

Chris Graham

college world seriesUVA got three runs in the fourth to take the lead, and Josh Sborz, Artie Lewicki and Nick Howard put it away from there as the Cavs defeated Ole Miss, 4-1, on Saturday to advance to the College World Series Finals.

Sborz (6-4) posted his second clinching win in as many weeks for the ‘Hoos (52-14), going five innings over two days in the game that was suspended by rain in the top of the second Friday night. After pitching a perfect first before the rains came, Sborz gave up just an unearned run on four hits in five innings, striking out four and walking four.

The sophomore did have to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam in the third, getting Will Allen to line out to third to end that threat. In the next half-inning, Virginia broke through on Ole Miss ace Chris Ellis (10-3) a bases-loaded two-run single by Robbie Coman and a squeeze bunt by Branden Cogswell to take a 3-1 lead.

UVA would tack on an insurance run in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Joe McCarthy that scored Daniel Pinero from second.

Lewicki pitched three scoreless innings to get the ball to Nick Howard, who got a double play to pitch around a leadoff single and then struck out Holt Perdzock to end it.

Virginia will face the winner of the Vanderbilt-Texas game being played at 8 p.m. Eastern Saturday night in Game 1 of the CWS Finals, which are slated to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern Monday.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].