Texas defeats Virginia 6-2 to reach bracket final at CWS

OMAHA, Neb.— Ivan Melendez and Zach Zubia finally broke out offensively, and just in time to keep Texas alive in the College World Series.

Melendez doubled and scored the Longhorns' first run, and hit the tiebreaking single in the eighth inning to help Texas eliminate Virginia with a 6-2 victory in a weather-delayed game that ended early Friday.

"As you guys saw the last few weeks, I was slumping it," said Melendez, who entered the game 3 for his last 19. "I hit one to the warning track against Mississippi State and another against Tennessee and I've been drawing a few walks. I was hitting the ball hard, so that was a start."

Zubia was 3 for his last 29 when he stepped to the plate in the ninth, and he broke open a one-run game with a bases-clearing double into the left-center gap. He had struck out twice and grounded out in his first three at-bats.

"Trusting yourself and your work — I think I showed that in my last at-bat," Zubia said. "The first three were not the results any of us wanted. I was still grinding away and keeping my head down and taking each at-bat as new."

The No. 2 national seed Longhorns (49-16) won their second elimination game to reach the Bracket 2 final. They'll play

Mississippi State and need to win Friday night and again Saturday to advance to the best-of-three finals next week.

Mike Antico singled and stole second before Melendez ripped a grounder up the middle to break a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth, and the Longhorns got an inning-ending double play in the bottom half to turn back a threat by Virginia.

Zubia gave Texas a cushion with his twoout double. It looked as though Virginia might keep it a 3-2 game when shortstop Nic Kent saved a run by picking up a deflected ball and making an off-balance throw to get Douglas Hodo III at the plate on a close play upheld on video review.