Jacksonville State University (JSU) defeated the University of Virginia (UVA) 13-7 on Friday night to open the NCAA Regional. The Gamecocks built a 9-0 lead early and withstood a late‑stage rally, while UVA coach Chris Pollard was ejected for arguing a pitch‑clock violation. The victory puts JSU into the winners bracket and forces Virginia into an elimination game.

JSU’s explosive second‑inning two‑run homer set the tone

In the top of the second inning, after a two‑out walk, JSU hit a two‑run home run that gave them a 2-0 lead. The early blast was the first of several big innings that would leave Virginia scrambling.. According to the game recap, the Gamecocks followed that with a four‑run third inning, capitalizing on an error and a sacrifice fly to push the score to 4-0.

Virginia’s starter Jay Zatkowski’s command issues opened the floodgates

UVA’s strater Jay Zatkowski struggled to locate the zone, prompting JSU to string together hits, walks and stolen bases. By the fifth inning, JSU had turned a leadoff single, a walk and two stolen bases into an RBI groundout and an RBI single, extending the lead to 8-0 . The report notes that a pitching change to Kevin Jaxel did little to stem the tide, as Jaxel surrrendered a double and a two‑run single that made it 9-0.

Chris Pollard’s second ejection of the season came in the seventh

After a steady comeback that trimmed the deficit to 13-5, UVA’s head coach Chris Pollard was tossed for the second time this season after disputing a pitch‑clock violation. The ejection, highlighted in the source, underscored the mounting frustration in the Virginia dugouut as the Gamecocks added another RBI single and a groundout to push the lead to 13-5.

Virginia’s late‑inning rally fell short despite Tiroly’s heroics

Virginia showed resilience in the bottom of the eighth, with Anthony Tiroly delivering a two‑run home run that cut the margin to 13-5 and later an RBI double that made it 13-6.. Casey Didawick added an RBI single to finish the inning at 13-7, but Noah Yoder’s scoreless ninth for Virginia could not spark a comeback. The source confirms that JSU’s bullpen held firm to seal the win.

What remains unclear about UVA’s path forward?

The report does not specify which team Virginia will face in their elimination game, nor does it detail the condition of their pitching staff after the heavy workload. Additionally, it is unknown whether Coach Pollard’s ejection will affect his ability to manage the next matchup, as the source provides no comment from the Cavaliers’ bench.