College Baseball World Series 2015: Saturday Scores, Winners and Bracket … – Bleacher Report

After various conference tournaments, NCAA regionals and super regionals, the 2015 College World Series finally got underway in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday.

The Virginia Cavaliers, last year’s runners-up, and Arkansas Razorbacks begin play, and an in-state matchup featuring the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes concludes action for the day. All four teams will be eager to begin their national title quests on the right foot.

Below, you’ll find the scores and recaps from Saturday’s two games.

Saturday Scores

Saturday Recap

Arkansas and Virginia were no strangers to one another. The two teams clashed in the Charlottesville regional last year, and the Cavaliers beat the Razorbacks on both occasions by a combined score of 12-2.

“We beat ’em in the regional last year, but you can’t go off that,” said Virginia outfielder Joe McCarthy, per Jeff White of VirginiaSports.com. “They’re a completely different team, we’re a completely different team, so we really haven’t referenced back to that at all.”

After both teams left a runner on base to end the first inning, McCarthy led by example as he broke the deadlock with a solo home run in the top of the second. He took advantage of a fastball that caught a little too much of the zone and sent it over the right field fence:

The #CWS scoring has started… IN A BIG WAY!

UVa takes the lead on McCarthy’s blast. http://t.co/tLp5bivvWs

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 13, 2015

Kevin White of the Omaha World-Herald wondered if a homer from McCarthy was early proof it was simply the Cavaliers’ day:

Joe McCarthy, Virginia’s No. 7 hitter, belts a solo homer (yes, over the fence). Just his second of the year. Is this a sign?

— Kevin White (@KWhiteOWH) June 13, 2015

D1Baseball.com’s Aaron Fitt was just happy to see a display of power this early into the College World Series:

Here we go! A bona fide home run, in just the 2nd inning of the #CWS. Joe McCarthy goes deep to right. Last year the first homer was Game 9.

— Aaron Fitt (@aaronfitt) June 13, 2015

After going scoreless in the bottom of the second, Arkansas put two runs on the board in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Joe Serrano scored on a sacrifice fly from Andrew Benintendi, while Bobby Wernes came home on a double by Clark Eagan.

The Cavs responded in kind in the top of the fifth. A Daniel Pinero double plated Ernie Clement, and Pinero came around to score on a single by Matt Thaiss. Thaiss was thrown out attempting to stretch his single into a double. Both runs came with two outs, much to the chagrin of Arkansas starter Trey Killian.

The Razorbacks had a quick reply in the bottom half of the inning. Benintendi got his 20th home run of the season with a bomb to right:

This is the definition of a #BENNYBOMB… #CWS http://t.co/t7nJ1eT9hW

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 13, 2015

Unfortunately, Arkansas couldn’t tack on another run. Virginia took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth with Pinero scoring on a double by Kenny Towns. The Cavaliers added an insurance run an inning later on an RBI single from Clement.

Josh Sborz wrapped up his three scoreless innings in relief by retiring the Razorbacks in order to end the game. The Virginia reliever made a strong case to be considered the player of the game. Dodgers Nation’s Jared Massey noted the junior right-hander’s dominance:

Sborz gets a strikeout to end the game. Allowed just two baserunners in 3 innings while striking out 5. Relied heavily on the slider.

— Jared Massey (@JaredJMassey) June 13, 2015

Fitt added that Sborz’s performance on the mound helped turn the tide as his opposite number—Zach Jackson—was ultimately unable to keep the Cavaliers off the board in the later innings:

Josh Sborz worked 3 shutout innings of relief and won the duel vs. Arkansas relief ace Zach Jackson. The game came down to that battle.

— Aaron Fitt (@aaronfitt) June 13, 2015

The defeat certainly isn’t the end of the world for Arkansas, but the Razorbacks will go in the losers’ bracket. Should they lose to the Hurricanes, they’ll be making a hasty exit from Omaha.

Miami joined the losers’ bracket as well following a 15-3 drubbing at the hands of Florida. The Gators scored 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning alone as they cruised to victory. According to NCAA Baseball, the 11-run inning ties the current record:

[FACT] Florida’s 11-run fourth inning ties a #CWS record!! Including the Gators, it has happened eight times in history.

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 14, 2015

What might be most impressive about Florida’s offensive onslaught is that the team scored all of those runs without registering a single long ball. Harrison Bader and Peter Alonso were the only two players who even recorded an extra-base hit, which in both cases was a double.

The Hurricanes actually held a 2-0 lead as well after David Thompson had sacrifice flies in the first and third innings.

Then, Florida plated 12 unanswered runs, and Miami was all but out of the game. Cody Jones of FightinGators.com ventures that Miami starting pitcher Andrew Suarez won’t want to see the SEC powerhouse again at any point over the course of his college career:

Andrew Suarez’s last two starts against Florida: 10.1 IP, 16 H, 12 R/8 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.

— Cody Jones (@CJonesScout) June 14, 2015

Suarez was succinct with his assessment of the game, per Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun:

Miami starter Andrew Suarez — “I just fell behind in the count. They found holes.”

— Kevin Brockway (@gatorhoops) June 14, 2015

At least the ‘Canes can take comfort in the fact that the Gators have victimized Florida schools throughout the NCAA tournament, per Gatorsports.com:

Gators have outscored NCAA Tournament opponents, all from the Sunshine State, 65-14

— Gatorsports.com (@Gator_sports) June 14, 2015

Alonso and Josh Tobias were among the standout offensive performers for Florida. Alonso was 1-for-3 with three runs batted in and another run scored, while Tobias went 1-for-4 with three RBI of his own and two runs scored.

With the kind of run support he received, Logan Shore didn’t need to pitch a gem. He went five innings, giving up three runs, two earned. Shore struck out six and walked none.

The Gators’ bullpen shut the door with four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk.

Florida was considered one of the top favorites to win the CWS when the tournament began, and the team displayed why Saturday night.

It will be interesting to see how the Gators fare against Virgina on Monday. The Cavaliers lost all three of their ACC tournament pool-play games but haven’t lost since the NCAA tourney began.