June 15, 2015

College World Series Scores & Schedules

 

Virginia's Waddell and Sborz combine to blank Florida

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

@roadtoomaha

(photo by Matt Riley of Virginia Athletics)

 

OMAHA, Neb. - The pitching was dominant.

 

Brandon Waddell (right) and Josh Sborz combined on a two-hit shutout as Virginia nipped No. 4 Florida 1-0 in Game 6 of the 2015 College World Series Monday evening in front of 19,544 fans at TD Ameritrade Park.

 

The Cavaliers (41-22) advance to the Bracket 1 Finals on Friday at 2 p.m. CT. The Gators (50-17) will play an elimination game against fifth-seeded Miami on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT.

 

Waddell (4-5) hurled seven scoreless innings with two hits, three walks and three strikeouts.

 

"Waddell was really good tonight," Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "He was moving the ball back and forth. He kept throwing two different speeds on his fastball and looked like he was throwing a bit of a cutter in on our right-handers and he just kept moving the ball back and forth and just didn't give us a whole lot."

 

Waddell's catcher agreed.

 

"He had command of all four pitches today," Virginia's Matt Thaiss said. "He did a great job keeping the ball down, keeping them off balance. Different counts, he was able to throw his off-speed pitches. And he did a great job."

 

His head coach was impressed as well.

 

"A tremendous outing by Brandon Waddell," Virginia head coach Brian O'Connor said. "I think that was really the story of the game. It felt like from pitch one to when he came out of the game there in the eighth inning, he was in really good command of the game, the best he's been all year. Certainly saved his best outing of the year for a really, really important time."

 

Waddell started the eighth and surrendered a leadoff walk to Dalton Guthrie. No. 9-hitter Ryan Larson couldn't lay down a bunt, so he ripped a single to right center that moved Guthrie to third.

 

That ended the evening for Waddell and brought in Sborz from the bullpen. Harrison Bader lined a pitch back to Sborz, who was able to get a glove on it. He kept his cool, looked Guthrie back to third and forced Larson out at second.

 

"It was basically all reaction," Sborz said, "and from there I got lucky throwing it to second. After I got that first out and that guy didn't score, I just tried to get the double play. And from there it just kind of played out."

 

Richie Martin lined out to second and Josh Tobias grounded out to second to end the threat.

 

"Obviously we had a chance there in the eighth with first and third," O'Sullivan said, "and Harrison put a really good swing on the ball. And Sborz did a nice job, and kept his composure, got the out at second. It's one of those things, if the ball gets through it's a totally different ballgame."

 

Sborz got a pair of come-backers and a groundout to second in the ninth to record his 15th save.

 

Virginia broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth. Thaiss had a one-out single to center and moved to second on a base hit to left by Kenny Towns. Pavin Smith hit a slow bouncer to the left of the mound. Puk fielded it but threw late to first, giving Smith an infield single and loading the bases for the Cavs. Puk departed and was replaced by Taylor Lewis. Robbie Coman hit a fly ball to center deep enough to score Thaiss from third, giving Virginia a 1-0 edge.

 

"We were fortunate to scratch across a run," O'Connor said. "Puk was tremendous. What a talented young man. And just proud of ours guys. We battled enough to find a way."

 

Both pitchers struggled in the first. Waddell retired the first two hitters, but surrendered a walk and hit a batter before a groundout ended the inning. Waddell threw 21 pitches, 10 for strikes.

 

"In the first inning I was trying to do too much with it," Waddell said. "I was trying to put a little bit too much behind things, make pitches move more than they normally do. So my command fluttered a little bit there. After I got out of the first inning I was able to take a step back, breathe, get my head right again and go back to what our plan was and try to get some early outs. I was fortunate enough to do that, calm down and settle into the game."

 

Florida had averaged 11.3 runs per game in its six NCAA Tournament contests, outscoring its opponents 68-15.

 

"We knew going into it they were a really good hitting team," Waddell said. "They showed it all through the season and postseason. They've just been scoring a tremendous amount of runs. So you knew going in that you were going to have to compete. There wasn't going to be any easy at-bats and they would make you make quality pitches and they were going to take advantage of your mistakes. So you know going in you've got to limit those mistakes, continue trying to make those quality pitches, get hitters off balance, and that was our game plan going into it."

 

Two hits were the least in a game this season for the Gators.

 

"Sometimes you've just got to credit the pitcher," O'Sullivan said. "I'm not going to fault our guys. You gotta remember he's a fifth-round pick. He beat Vanderbilt last year in the second game, forced a Game 3. He's good. Probably the best he's pitched all year. He was on tonight. I don't want to take anything away from him,"

 

Waddell has pitched 23 career innings in the College World Series and has allowed just two earned runs. He had a complete-game victory against Vanderbilt in Game 2 of the CWS Championship Series to force a third and final game.

 

Puk worked 5.1 innings with four hits, one run, three walks and five strikeouts. He allowed a pair of walks in the first, throwing 26 pitches in the inning of which 16 were strikes.

 

"It was tough today with the rain delay and everything," Puk said. "I was in the hotel room all day, and I was really excited to get out here. In the first inning, I was struggling with my command and just found a groove and was able to attack the zone."