By Phil Stanton
CBI Co-Founder/Editor
OMAHA, Neb. – TCU’s arms shut down Virginia’s bats.
Sam Stoutenborough, Garrett Wright and Ben Abeldt combined to hold the Cavaliers to five hits and three runs as the Horned Frogs posted a 4-3 win in the first elimination game of the 2023 College World Series, the fourth one-run contest in the first five in Omaha.
TCU (43-23) will face the loser of the Florida-Oral Roberts game on Tuesday, June 20 at 1 p.m. CT. Virginia went 0-2 for the first time in six trips to the CWS and ended its season at 50-15.
Stoutenborough went the first 4.2 innings with two hits, one run, two walks and three strikeouts. The two hits came to the first two batters of the game for the Cavs.
“You can’t teach experience,” said TCU head coach Kirk Saarloos of Stoutenborough. “And I think that’s exactly what you saw in the first inning. And then he settled in. I thought he did a great job with his changeup and his curveball and then being able to sneak the fastball by some guys he needed to. But ultimately it came down to his poise and presence.”
Wright (3-2) worked 2.2 innings with two hits, two runs and four punchouts to earn the victory.
“I love the big moments,” Wright said. “I’ve been there since freshman year and I thrive on those. I love the anticipation and the buildup in the stadium and with our teammates.”
Abeldt pitched the final 1.2 innings with one hit and two strikeouts to register his second save.
“I think he threw 40 or 50 pitches on Friday,” Saarloos said. “Ben is one of the most resilient arms in terms of bounce-back. He actually gets better the more he throws. He did an awesome job in terms of finishing the game.”
TCU started the scoring in the top of the first. Elijah Nunez (2 for 5) had a leadoff double down the left field line, went to third on a base hit by Karson Bowen (2 for 4) and came home on a sacrifice fly to right by Cole Fontenelle to give the Frogs an early 1-0 edge.
UVA answered in the bottom of the first. Griff O’Ferrall started with a double down the left field line, went to third on a single by Ethan O’Donnell and scored on a fielder’s choice by Jake Gelof to level the score at 1-1.
The Frogs broke the deadlock in the third. Bowen had a one-out single, went to third on a double by Brayden Taylor and scored on a groundout by Fontenelle to give TCU a 2-1 lead. It was the fifth RBI for Fontenelle in two CWS contests.
TCU added to its lead in the sixth. Anthony Silva (2 for 5) had a one-out single, went to second on a two-out walk to Austin Davis and came home on a single to center by Nunez as the Frogs went up 3-1.
Ethan Anderson had a leadoff homer in the seventh, his 15th of the season, to pull the Cavs within one at 3-2.
The Frogs got that run back in the eighth. Silva had a leadoff single, was sacrificed to second by Luke Boyers and scored on a double by Davis as TCU went up 4-2. Davis reached base four times with a single, a double and two walks.
UVA again closed the gap to one in the bottom of the eighth. Harrison Didawick started the inning with a single, stole second and went to third when O’Ferrall sent a ball to the wall in left. Abeldt entered and got O’Donnell to ground out, plating Didawick to make it 4-3. Gelof flied out to left to end the inning.
Fontenelle led off the top of the ninth with a single and was sacrificed to second by Tre Richardson. Jay Woolfolk took over on the mound for the Cavs, getting a flyout and a groundout to keep the deficit at one. TCU stranded 12 in the game.
Abeldt got a strikeout and a groundout to start the bottom of the ninth. Casey Saucke singled to center and went to second when the ball was misplayed. Abeldt struck out Stephan to end the season for UVA and extend the season for TCU.
“Another great baseball game in this World Series,” UVA head coach Brian O’Connor said. “There’s been some terrific games in the first five ballgames. We just fell a little bit short in Omaha. Two one-run losses certainly hurts. I feel for our guys because they’ve had a terrific year.”
Notes
This is the first time that four of the first five CWS games have been decided by one run.
Saarloos was asked in the postgame press conference if his Tuesday starter was TBA. “Yeah, I love that guy,” Saarloos answered.