Closing argument

OMAHA, Neb. -- The College World Series opener came down to a battle of closers, and for a change, Arkansas didn't enjoy the edge.

Virginia beat the Razorbacks 5-3 before an announced crowd of 24,228 at TD Ameritrade Park on Saturday when Cavaliers junior right-hander Josh Sborz shut down Arkansas over the final three innings and Virginia's hitters got to Zach Jackson for two runs.

The game was tied 3-3 when Sborz came in for the bottom of the seventh inning. Jackson came in with one out in the top of the eighth and a runner on first base.

"That's what it's all about," Jackson said of having no margin for error. "That game could have gone either way.

"They put themselves in a position to win, so did we. Things just happened to go their way today. We'll have to come back Monday and get 'em."

The Razorbacks (40-24) will play at 2 p.m. Monday in an elimination game against the loser of Saturday night's Florida-Miami game.

"It's a position we've been in a lot this season," Jackson said. "It's something that we're comfortable with doing. It's just frustrating now because we felt like we had a good shot at that ballgame."

Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn brought in Jackson -- a sophomore right-hander and All-SEC relief pitcher -- after Virginia shortstop Daniel Pinero hit starter Trey Killian's 100th pitch into right field for a one-out single in the eighth.

Jackson hadn't allowed an earned run in 8 2/3 innings over five previous NCAA Tournament appearances, but he couldn't continue that dominance against Virginia.

Pierno stole second and third base before Jackson struck out Matt Thaiss swinging.

Jackson got ahead of cleanup hitter Kenny Towns 1-2, but Towns worked the count to 3-2 before hitting a curveball for a double to right field that put Virginia ahead 4-3.

"Certainly it was the at-bat of the game," Cavaliers Coach Brian O'Connor said. "Jackson's their guy, but Kenny has driven in runs for us all year long."

It was Towns' 61st RBI this season.

"He had some good stuff," Towns said of Jackson. "He got ahead of me right away, and when I got down 1-2 I was like, 'You've got to put the ball in play.'

"I was able to take some close pitches and get myself in a better count. I was able to see that breaking ball pretty well and put a good swing on it."

Towns took a close pitch for a ball when the count was 2-2.

"We thought we had it," Van Horn said. "It was called just off the plate. Sometimes you get those calls and sometimes you don't.

"Credit their hitter with doing a nice job on the next pitch."

Virginia (40-22) made it 5-3 in the ninth inning when Robbie Coman singled, pinch-runner Thomas Woodruff stole second base, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Ernie Clements' single.

The Cavaliers' three hits against Jackson in 2 2/3 innings matched what he had allowed combined in five previous NCAA Tournament games.

"We've relied on Zach all year long, and more often than not he's gotten the job done for us," Killian said. "Today was a prime example of the game of baseball.

"He made quality pitches, I feel like."

Killian said on another day Towns might have lined out on the 3-2 pitch.

"The (velocity) may have been down a little bit," Jackson said of his pitches. "I think that might have helped them a little bit, but I feel like I wasn't leaving my pitches up.

"They just put a piece on a couple of balls and helped themselves out."

Sborz (5-2) struck out five and held the Razorbacks to one hit -- Brett McAfee's leadoff single in the ninth -- which was erased when Michael Bernal grounded into a double play.

"He slider had a lot of bite to it," Arkansas center fielder Andrew Benintendi said. "He seemed to be throwing it in any count."

Sborz walked Beninendi -- whose 20th home run tied it 3-3 in the fifth inning -- leading off the eighth. Benintendi stole second base but was stranded when Sborz struck out Tyler Spoon, got Clark Eagan on a popout and struck out Rick Nomura.

Sborz ended the game by striking out pinch-hitter Carson Shaddy.

"The difference in winning and losing games like this is so fine, and that's why we brought in Sborz in the seventh inning," O'Connor said. "Sometimes it's one hit that makes the difference, and Kenny certainly delivered it."

Sports on 06/14/2015