Virginia, in walk-off fashion, ousts Old Dominion in Columbia Regional finals
Devon Ortiz started the game on the mound and ended it at the plate.
The Virginia senior, who was the team’s starting pitcher to begin the game, hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 10th and give the Cavaliers a 4-3 win over Old Dominion in the NCAA tournament’s Columbia regional final Tuesday at Founders Park.
“Holy crap,” Ortiz said in an ESPN interview. “Man, this is something you dream about when you are a little kid. I’m just so happy I was able to help my team advance.”
With the win, Virginia advances to Super Regional for the first time since 2015 — and they won’t have to travel. The Cavaliers will face Dallas Baptist beginning Saturday at Founders Park in Columbia. The NCAA announced earlier Tuesday that the Super Regional would be played at South Carolina’s home field.
In this year’s bracket, the regional being played in Columbia is paired with the one happening in Fort Worth, Texas. Both host teams at those regionals, South Carolina and TCU, were eliminated Sunday.
NCAA baseball tournament rules for this season added for the possibility of Founders Park the chance of hosting more baseball, even without the Gamecocks playing. Neither Dallas Baptist nor Virginia or Old Dominion put in bids to host regionals or super regionals.
Virginia baseball will stay in Columbia to prepare for this weekend’s Super Regional.
“I like to thank the hospitality here by South Carolina, the people here that work at the stadium, the grounds crew. It has been 100 percent first class and accommodating and has made us very welcome. So we are fortunate for that,” Virginia baseball coach Brian O’Connor said.
Tuesday’s game was originally scheduled for Monday but was postponed because of rain. It was the first regional to be played on a Tuesday since 2016.
Ortiz got the start for Virginia despite only pitching two innings this season after having shoulder injuries. Ortiz pitched four scoreless innings and gave up just one hit.
O’Connor said they have been grooming him for a moment like Tuesday because they knew they would need him if the team dropped in a loser’s bracket. Virginia lost its first game to South Carolina and won four straight to go to first Super Regional since 2015.
O’Connor said Ortiz has been throwing in scrimmage games during the week to get his strength back. He threw three innings on Tuesday.
“We had confidence in him because we knew what was inside him,” O’Connor said of Ortiz.
The third-seeded Cavs are the third team since 1999 seeded No. 3 or No. 4 in an NCAA Regional to lose its first game and advance to a Super Regional.
The Cavaliers trailed 3-2 going to eighth but tied it up on wild pitch and eventually won it Ortiz’s homer.
Steven Schooch got the win for Virginia, going 3 1/3 innings and giving up one earned run on two hits.
The loss ends the season for Old Dominion, which was the No. 1 seed in the regional and was looking for its first trip to a Super Regional.
Columbia NCAA Super Regional schedule
At Founders Park in Columbia
Saturday: Dallas Baptist vs. Virginia, noon
Sunday: Dallas Baptist vs. Virginia, noon
Monday: Dallas Baptist vs. Virginia, 1 p.m. (if necessary)
This story was originally published June 8, 2021 at 1:40 PM.
