Virginia defeats St. John's, 5-3, in regional final

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - St. John's had forced a deciding game in the Charlottesville Regional by beating Virginia on Sunday night, but the Red Storm couldn't get the big hit this time.

St. John's lost to the Cavaliers, 5-3, last night as Virginia, seeded fifth nationally, clinched a spot in the Super Regionals. The Cavs will host Oklahoma (47-15).

Virginia (50-12) set a school record for victories in a season by prevailing in a game that was very much like the one St. John's won Sunday night, 6-5. This time, though, closer Kevin Arico stymied the Red Storm with 32/3 shutout innings for his 17th save.

"The bottom line? That kid can pitch," St. John's coach Ed Blankmeyer said. "It's when the game is on the line that you bring him in, and the game was on the line."

St. John's (43-20), which won twice Sunday, got good enough pitching from Kyle Hansen and three relievers to win again but couldn't get the key hit it needed. Branden Kline (5-0) and Arico scattered 11 hits and escaped jams in the sixth and eighth.

Paul Karmas homered in the second to move St. John's within 2-1. The Red Storm pulled within 4-3 in the fifth but could have done more.

With the score 4-1, two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out and Arico came in to face freshman Jeremy Baltz, who had hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth against Virginia on Sunday. "I felt that could be the ballgame," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said.

Baltz - later named the regional's MVP - drove in a run with a forceout and Jimmy Parque added an RBI single, but rightfielder Dan Grovatt nailed Baltz trying to take third.

With the Cavaliers ahead 5-3 in the eighth, Matt Wessinger singled and Baltz added a two-out single. But Arico struck out Parque on a 3-and-2 pitch.

Sean O'Hare singled with two outs in the ninth, but Arico got Josh Daniel to fly out to leftfield, setting off a wild celebration - and a sigh of relief - from a packed stadium.

"I probably felt the pressure more than the players did," said O'Connor, whose team hosted regionals three times in the previous six years and failed to advance each time.

- AP