COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Griff McGarry struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings and Virginia beat Dallas Baptist 4-0 in Game 2 of the Columbia Super Regional on Sunday.
The Cavaliers (34-25) improved to 5-0 this year in NCAA Tournament elimination games and forced a decisive Game 3 with the Patriots (41-17) on Monday for a trip to the College World Series.
Zack Gelof gave Virginia a 1-0 lead with a line drive home run off Dallas Baptist starter Rhett Kouba (6-2) to lead off the eighth inning. Alex Tappen followed with a two-out three-run homer off reliever Kragen Kechely.
The Patriots’ Andrew Benefield broke up McGarry’s no-hit bid with a lead-off double in the seventh. Virginia catcher Logan Michaels picked off Benefield at second after Ryan Wrobleski showed bunt. Wrobleski hit a single, advanced to second on a fielding error and stole third on pitch in the dirt, but McGarry closed out the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
McGarry walked George Specht to lead off the eighth and left the game after taking a moment in the dugout to see if he could do something about bleeding on the ring finger of his pitching hand. Brandon Neeck (2-0) finished the inning to pick up the win and Kyle Whitten pitched the ninth for his second save of the season.
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