Virginia wins the 2015 College World Series

The Hoos became just the seventh team ever to win the championship after dropping the first game of the final series, rallying back against the defending champs to end the ACC’s long title drought.

Vanderbilt scored two runs in the top of the first inning and the universe was falling back into its natural order. Virginia — a team that lost so many players to injury this year that its coach had to grab warm bodies from the club team, a team that didn’t look like they would even make the ACC Tournament heading into final weekend of the regular season, a team that trailed late into both super regional games, and a team whose lack of pitching depth gave it no chance against the star-studded defending champs in the finals — yes, that Virginia, looked as though its miracle run was pittering out. But eight innings and nearly four hours later, the Wahoos were lifting the first national championship trophy in school history after a 4-2 win in the deciding Game 3.

Virginia, left for dead after dropping Game 1 on Monday, rattled off four unanswered runs to complete a fitting metaphor to its season of comebacks, becoming the first ACC team to win the national championship since 1955. They’re just the seventh school to ever win the title after dropping the first game of the series.

The Hoos pulled themselves back into the game in the fourth inning with a two-run homer from freshman Pavin Smith, the latest Cav to play the role of unexpected hero. It was the first homer allowed by Vandy in the entire NCAA Tourney, and sent first-round MLB Draft pick Walker Buehler to the dugout.

WE. ARE. TIED!!!!! Pavin Smith BLASTS a 2-run BOMB to right and it’s 2-2 in the 4th! #CWS http://t.co/JzYHFpfw2p

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 25, 2015

An inning later, Smith laced a pitch down the third baseline to give his club a shocking 3-2 lead.

Virginia’s Mr. Clutch, veteran third baseman Kenny Towns, tacked on an insurance run in the seventh with a two-out RBI. But it was a big play with the leather that was Towns’ biggest contribution of the night. In the bottom of the fourth, with the two outs and the go-ahead run at third, Towns went full extension to spear a grounder and keep Vandy off the board.

Kenny Towns… that was INCREDIBLE! #CWS #SCTop10 http://t.co/kTtiLD27jp

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 25, 2015

While Buehler was forced into an early exit, Virginia’s Brandon Waddell settled down after the two-run first for yet another gem in Omaha. Pitching just three days after pushing his team into the finals past Florida, Waddell gave up just two hits over the next six innings. It marks his third College World Series win this year and the fifth of his career.

But it was the man that closed the final two innings that is perhaps the most appropriate personification of Virginia’s comeback season. It had been nearly two months since Nathan Kirby had last seen the mound when he made his long-awaited return last week against Florida. That start didn’t go well — he was roughed up by the Gators and couldn’t make it out of the third inning. But with the national championship on the line Wednesday, the guy that had been his team’s ace for most of the season came up big. He struck out the side in the eighth, then finished off a one-hit ninth to kick off the dog pile.

THE FINAL OUT! http://t.co/qUzc7wvsXC

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 25, 2015