Cavaliers Now

Virginia Advances to College World Series With Dominant 12-2 Win Over Duke

The Cavaliers crushed the Blue Devils in game 3 to win the Charlottesville Super Regional and advance to Omaha for the sixth time

Matt Newton

Virginia Athletics

The Virginia Cavaliers are headed back to Omaha for the College World Series for the sixth time in program history after defeating Duke 12-2 to clinch the Charlottesville Super Regional on Sunday afternoon at Disharoon Park. 

After suffering a heartbreaking 5-4 loss in game 1 on Friday to put their backs up against the wall, the Cavaliers came back with a vengeance the rest of the weekend, winning 14-4 in game 2 on Saturday and then earning a 12-2 victory in the winner-take-all game 3 on Sunday. 

Brian Edgington threw a complete game on the mound for UVA, giving up just two earned runs on nine hits and striking out 11 batters as he picked up his well-earned ninth win of the season. The Virginia bats gave Edgington plenty of run support early on, using RBI base hits from Harrison Didawick, Griff O'Ferrall, Ethan O'Donnell, and Kyle Teel to score five runs in the second inning. 

The next three innings went by without either team scoring and then Jay Beshears got the Blue Devils on the board in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run to left field to make it 5-2. Virginia quickly answered with four runs in the bottom half of the sixth on an RBI single from Jake Gelof, a fielder's choice grounder from Teel, and a two-run home run by Ethan Anderson. 

That gave UVA a 9-2 lead and the Hoos ran away with the game from there, scoring two runs in the seventh and another run in the eighth on Anthony Stephan's second home run in as many games to make it 12-2. Virginia scored 12 runs on 16 hits, following up Saturday's 14-run offensive explosion in which the Cavaliers scored their most runs in a Super Regional game in program history. Griff O'Ferrall went 4 for 5 with two runs scored and Kyle Teel recorded four RBI. 

The win sends Virginia (50-13) back to the College World Series for the second time in the last three years and for the sixth time in program history. UVA's side of the bracket in the College World Series will feature No. 2 seed Florida, TCU, and Oral Roberts. Virginia will face No. 2 seed Florida in its first game at the College World Series. The complete schedule for the College World Series will be finalized at a later date. 

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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