Virginia pulls away in the ninth inning and advances to Super Regional – The Virginian-Pilot

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Jay Woolfolk settled for pitching in the ninth inning after a rough start, and No. 12 nationally ranked Virginia scored six runs in its final at-bat in a 9-2 victory over Mississippi State on Sunday night to win the Charlottesville Regional and earning a place in a Super Regional house in Disharoon Park.

Woolfolk surrendered a two-run home run to Dakota Jordan in the bottom of the first inning after Henry Ford’s RBI single gave the Cavaliers (44-15) a 1-0 lead in the first half. David Mershon hit a one-out single before Jordan homered.

Ford and Ference hit RBI singles in the top of the third to give Virginia a 3-2 lead. Both runs were unearned after a throwing error with two outs by Mershon at the short stop.

Woolfolk (3-1), who has played quarterback for UVA, held the Bulldogs (40-23) to five hits after the first seven scoreless innings. He was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player, giving way to Chase Hungate after allowing a leadoff single in the ninth. Hungate’s second pitch turned into a double play.

Virginia broke the game open in the ninth. No. 9 hitter Luke Hanson, a graduate of Lafayette High, drove in the first two runs with a single. The final two runs were scored on back-to-back wild pitches by Bulldogs reliever Karson Ligon.

Virginia has played in the College World Series six times, all since 2009. The Cavaliers won the event in 2015 after losing to Vanderbilt in the previous season’s finals.

Mississippi State has advanced to the CWS 12 times, most recently in 2021 when it won its only championship. The Bulldogs were the runner-up to UCLA in 2013.

Mississippi State defeated St. John’s 13-5 in an elimination game to start the day.