Virginia Suffers 3-2 Loss in MCWS Opener

OMAHA, Neb.  – Virginia (46-16) suffered its first loss of the NCAA Tournament, dropping the opening game at the 2024 Men’s College World Series against North Carolina (48-14) by a score of 3-2 on Friday afternoon (June 14) at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.  

After overcoming an early one-run deficit, the Cavaliers took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning. The Tar Heels scored their final two runs of the game with two outs, including a walk-off RBI single by Vance Honeycutt in the ninth. 

On the mound, UVA starting pitcher Evan Blanco (8-3) delivered his sixth quality start of the season going 6.2 innings while holding the Tar Heels to just a pair of runs and striking out four.  

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• UNC grabbed the initial lead on an RBI groundout by Anthony Donforio that scored Casey Cook in the bottom of the first inning.
• Henry Ford evened the game in the top of the third with a one-out single to right that plated Ethan Anderson. The RBI was Ford’s 69th of the season, adding to his single-season UVA freshman record.

• Eric Becker’s double in the sixth inning put a pair of runners in scoring position and eventually allowed Henry Godbout to score from third on a sac fly by Griff O’Ferrall. The sac fly was his 10th of the season, tied for the second-most in the country and matches a single-season school record (Steven Proscia, 2010 & Dan Grovatt, 2010).
• Carolina tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Casey Cook singled to left field and drove in Alex Madera.
• With the score tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, UNC’s Jackson Van De Brake entered the game as a pinch hitter and delivered a leadoff double to right field. After advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt, Van De Brake scored the winning run off an RBI single from Vance Honeycutt. UNC has produced a walk-off victory in each of the three rounds of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

ADDITIONAL NOTES  

• Friday’s loss was UVA’s third-straight one-run loss in the College World Series. The Cavaliers are 4-8 all-time in one-run games at the CWS.
• O’Ferrall led the game off by reaching base on a hit by pitch. He has reached base to lead off the game in three-straight UVA MCWS games. It marked the 185th consecutive start by O’Ferrall.
• UVA led 3-2 in the after the sixth inning and dropped to 37-3 when leading after six innings this season. 
• Anderson has reached base in 34-straight games, the longest active streak on the team. Becker’s double in the sixth extended his reached base streak to 30 games.
• Blanco has logged six or more innings in each of his last five starts. He has pitched more than five innings in 11-straight starts and in 14 of his 18 starts this season. 
• Blanco recorded his team-best, sixth quality start of the season. UVA pitchers have combined for 10 quality starts in 2024.
• Chase Hungate was charged with the loss and the run in the ninth was his first allowed of the NCAA postseason, a span of 8.1 innings of relief.

UP NEXT  

The Cavaliers will play an elimination game on Sunday (June 16) against the loser of Tennessee and Florida State game scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Friday night in Omaha. First pitch for Sunday’s elimination game is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and the contest will air live on ESPN.