Wahoowa! We’re going back to Omaha! UVA rallies, stuns Terps, 5-4

Ernie Clement’s two-run single in the bottom of the ninth completed a three-run UVA rally that sends the ‘Hoos to Omaha with a 5-4 win over Maryland on Saturday at Davenport Field.

Maryland led 4-2 entering the ninth after getting an otherworldly relief appearance from Robert Galligan, who came into the game with one out in the first after starter Ryan Selmer was lifted after just 14 pitches.

Galligan had thrown seven and two-thirds scoreless innings to that point, giving up just two hits and two walks, but he was at 105 pitches at the start of the ninth. Maryland coach John Szefc elected to stick with Galligan, who clearly ran out of gas, surrendering a leadoff walk to Pavin Smith, a sharp single to center by Robbie Coman and then a four-pitch walk to Joe McCarthy, who had been looking to bunt early in the at bat.

Szefc went to closer Kevin Mooney, who coughed up an eighth-inning lead in Friday’s Game 1 loss. The hitter who did the damage Friday, Kevin Doherty, worked a five-pitch walk to force in a run, bringing up Clement, who hit a sharp single to left to score pinch-runner Thomas Woodruff with the tying run and then McCarthy with the winning run.

Galligan (4-5) took the loss for Maryland, charged with the three runs that came across in the ninth.

Alec Bettinger (5-5) was credited with the win with an inning of scoreless relief in advance of the rally. Virginia would not have been in that position without starter Brandon Waddell, who went eight innings, giving up four runs on 10 hits, striking out seven and walking two, throwing 115 pitches, 74 for strikes.

For the longest time, it looked like Waddell was eating up innings to save Virginia’s staff for a do-or-die Game 3 on Sunday. UVA led 2-1 after one, but Maryland tied the game in the fourth on a LaMonte Wade fielders choice RBI, and took the lead in the fifth on a Kevin Martir RBI single.

Maryland added what looked to be an insurance run in the eight on a two-out RBI triple by Anthony Papio.

Virginia advances to its fourth College World Series in the past seven years.