UVA 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
