COLUMBIA, SC - It was an all-Commonwealth classic.
Virginia eliminated Old Dominion on a 10th inning walk-off home run to win the Columbia regional title Tuesday.
UVA's Devin Ortiz, the game's starting pitcher, hit a home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Cavaliers a 4-3 victory. UVA advances to the Super Regional round, in which the Cavs will face Dallas Baptist.
Following a two-run frame by UVA in the bottom of the seventh inning, ODU answered with a pair of runs of its own to take a 3-2 lead. After ODU's Brock Gagliardi singled home Kyle Battle with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game 2-2, Tommy Bell drove in Matt Coutney to put the Monarchs ahead by one run.
After being shutout the first six innings, Virginia plated a pair of runs in the seventh. Alex Tappen's RBI single gave the Cavaliers a 2-1 lead.
With two outs in the sixth inning, ODU's Gagliardi singled home Carter Trice on a two-strike pitch to break a scoreless tie.
ODU starting pitcher Hunter Gregory, a Chesapeake product from Hickory High School, allowed just one hit in 5.1 innings pitched.
Old Dominion's season ends at 44-16.
