Sunday was another exciting day of baseball at the Men’s College World Series, with Virginia and Florida State competing in a win-or-go-home game and North Carolina and Tennessee battling to advance.
State of Florida 7, Virginia 3
Florida State struck early and often, holding off a late surge from Virginia for the 7-3 win.
Florida State first scored with a bases-loaded walk in the third inning, followed by a solo home run by left fielder Jaime Ferrer in the fourth. But in the fifth inning, the Seminoles really shined: Designated hitter Marco Dinges hit an RBI single, immediately followed by Ferrer hitting a three-run home run to give Florida State a 6-0 lead. Short stop Alex Lodise added another run with a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Virginia got two back in the seventh inning with a pair of RBI singles. After a brief stoppage of play in the eighth inning to tend to the home plate umpire, who was clocked in the chin by a stray, bouncing pitch, Virginia left fielder Anthony Stephan hit an RBI double to cut Florida State’s lead a little further.
Despite the Cavaliers’ late push, Florida State ended the ninth inning with a double play to close out Virginia and stay in Omaha for another game.
Key statistics
Florida State pitcher Carson Dorsey had a big day, throwing 106 pitches over seven innings with seven strikeouts and holding the Cavaliers scoreless through six innings.
Virginia’s Jay Woolfolk started well on the mound, striking out three batters, but appeared to injure his right knee after Ferrer’s first home run and was thrown out in the fourth inning.
Highlights
Although Virginia struggled on offense, there were a few defensive bright spots, including this run-stealing catch from Harrison Didawick in the second inning.
But the biggest highlight was Ferrer’s second home run, which pushed Florida State to a demanding lead and extended Ferrer’s dominance that night.
What they say
“Hiting two home runs on Father’s Day is awesome, especially with my dad in the stands,” Ferrer said after the game, adding that he and his father planned to have dinner afterwards to celebrate.
What’s next
The second loss means Virginia is eliminated and goes home, while Florida State plays the loser of North Carolina-Tennessee on Tuesday.
