Gamecocks advance, set for Hogs
SOUTH CAROLINA 8, N. CAROLINA-WILMINGTON 4
GREENVILLE, N.C. — Madison Stokes drove in three runs, Jonah Bride hit a late home run and South Carolina advanced to the Super Regional at Arkansas by beating North Carolina-Wilmington 8-4 on Monday.
After sweeping three games in Greenville, the second-seeded Gamecocks (3624) will face the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the No. 5 national seed, in a best-ofthree series this weekend at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Carlos Cortes had four hits and Hunter Taylor added two RBI to help South Carolina earn its 13th super regional berth and second in three years.
Stokes had a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the sixth and a two-run double an inning later that made it 6-3. Bride’s two-run home run in the ninth made it a five-run game.
Kep Brown homered and drove in two runs, and Mason Berne had the other two RBI for the fourth-seeded Seahawks (39-23).
TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL
MISSISSIPPI STATE 8, OKLAHOMA 1
over State JP France seven advanced held innings, to Oklahoma a Super and Regional Mississippi to two hits for the third consecutive year as it defeated the Sooners in the deciding game of its regional. This is the 23rd time under the current format a team has drop their first game in a regional and then won the next four to advance. But the Bulldogs (35-26), who will face Vanderbilt in the Super Regional, are the first to do it two consecutive seasons. France (5-5) allowed one run along with having two walks and five strikeouts. Justin Foscue, who was one of three Mississippi State players with two hits, had a two-run double in the fifth to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. They broke it open with a four-run ninth, which included a two-run shot by Jake Mangum. Riley Self pitched the final two innings for his first save. Lindsly accounted for the Sooners’ (38-25) run in the second. He reached first on an errant third strike and scored on a grounder by Justin Mitchell for the second out. OXFORD REGIONAL
TENNESSEE TECH 3, MISSISSIPPI 2
Super twice. Oxford Tennessee The Golden No. Regional Regional 4 Tech national Eagles by by has beating stunning (52-10) seed advanced Mississippi 3-2 won the on to nation’s the the its home them 15-5 field, in just the afternoon hours after to force beating the winner-take-all game. Tennessee Tech will face Texas in the Super Regional. Ole Miss (48-17) pushed ahead 2-0 in the top of the sixth, but Tennessee Tech responded with a two-run home run by Trevor Putzig — his 17th of the season — in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Tennessee Tech went ahead 3-2 in the seventh on a sacrifice fly and Nick Osborne pitched three innings of shutdown relief to seal it. ATHENS REGIONAL
DUKE 8, GEORGIA 4
Griffin Conine homered twice and Duke earned the first super regional berth in school history by sweeping two games from Georgia. Duke won the first game 8-5, then won the winner-take-all game 8-4. Jimmy Herron and Zack Kone also homered in the second game to send the second-seeded Blue Devils (44-16) into a best-of-three super regional series at No. 9 national seed Texas Tech this weekend. Kone’s three-run home run in the third put Duke ahead 3-2, and Conine — who also homered in the first game — followed with a solo shot. The son of former major leaguer Jeff Conine also connected in the seventh. Mitch Stallings (4-5) struck out six in seven innings for the Blue Devils, who won four consecutive in the losers’ bracket after dropping their opener against Troy to extend their second NCAA appearance since 1961. Michael Curry homered for the top-seeded Bulldogs (39-21). GAINESVILLE REGIONAL
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 7, FLORIDA 4 (1ST GAME)
Joe Montes drove in three runs, two of them in another big inning, and Florida Atlantic beat overall No. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida that set up a winner-takes-all finale. The Owls (43-18-1) sent 10 batters to the plate during a five-run third inning, getting two-run singles from David Miranda and Montes. Montes brought home another run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. FAU and Florida (44-18) played a second game late Monday, with the winner advancing to the super regionals to face Auburn. The first game was delayed 4 hours, 41 minutes because of rain.