Omaha, NE (Sports Network) - Tyler Wilson pitched into the eighth inning and Virginia eliminated California from the College World Series with an 8-1 win Thursday night.

Wilson allowed five hits and fanned five over 7 2/3 innings. Cody Winiarski finished up the contest on the mound.

"I knew it was going to be important coming in to establish my fastball, command of the fastball both in and out of the zone and to be able to pitch under the zone, try to get under the hands if necessary," Wilson said. "And they put some really good swings on some fastballs throughout the entire game, and luckily they hit it right at our guys. But I think that was the key was being able to command the fastball."

John Barr drove in two runs for the Cavaliers, who face a must-win situation when they take on defending national champion South Carolina Friday night. The Gamecocks beat Virginia, 7-1, on Tuesday.

The day game on Friday will see Vanderbilt go against Florida. The Commodores need a win to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament.

Dixon Anderson allowed four hits and an earned run over three innings in the start for the Golden Bears. Kevin Miller fanned five batters over 2 2/3 innings, but was touched for five hits and four runs.

Jared King scored on a wild pitch in the third inning and Barr added a sacrifice fly.

The Cavaliers blew it open with a four-run sixth. Kenny Swab singled and scored on a three-base error. Keith Werman singled in David Coleman and Chris Taylor followed with an RBI double to left-center. Barr added an RBI single.

California's lone run came in the eighth on Tony Renda's RBI single, but the Cavaliers scored twice in the ninth on an error and on a Coleman groundout.

"He did a great job," Renda said of Wilson shutting down the Golden Bears. "He kept us off balance to the point we were popping up a lot of balls up, which is pretty uncharacteristic of our team. And he was throwing two pitches for a strike. Slider was on tonight, and his fastball was getting on us."

06/24 02:18:50 ET