Photo by David Cohen, (BHEphotos/College Baseball Daily)
OMAHA, Neb. – Brandon Waddell and Josh Sborz combined for a two-hit shutout of Florida in a tight 1-0 victory in the 2015 Men’s College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
The Cavaliers (41-22) are 2-0 at the College World Series for the second year in a row. They advance to the bracket one final on Friday at 2 p.m.
No. 4 Florida (50-17) faces a rematch against Miami in an elimination game Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Winning pitcher Waddell (4-5) threw seven innings of two-hit baseball, walking three and striking out three. He allowed two runners to reach scoring position. Sborz picked up the save in two innings of nohit relief.
The Cavaliers scored their only run in the sixth inning. They loaded the bases on three consecutive singles, including a short dribbler to the pitcher that Pavin Smith ran out. Robbie Coman then knocked in Kenny Towns with a sacrifice fly to center.
Until the sixth-inning rally, Florida starter A.J. Puk (9-4) had allowed just one hit in five innings. He took the loss with one run and five strikeouts.
Virginia threatened again in the seventh. Daniel Pinero advanced to third after a pickoff attempt got away, and Matt Thaiss reached on a hit by pitch. But Towns hit into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
A decisive defensive moment came in the eighth, when Florida had its best chance to score. Waddell walked Dalton Guthrie to lead off the inning, and Larson singled to right center to put runners on first and third. Sborz entered the game. His first batter, Harrison Bader, hit a hard comebacker at the mound.
Szborz knocked it down and fielded it without a glove, held the runner at third and took the force out at second to preserve the status quo. Then he induced Richie Martin to line out to second and Schwarz to ground out to end the inning and secure the win for Virginia.
