Rock’s sacrifice fly sends A&M to CWS
TEXAS A&M 4, LOUISVILLE 3
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Dylan Rock drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning and No. 5 overall seed Texas A&M beat 12th-seeded Louisville 4-3 on Saturday to win the College Station Super Regional and become the first team to earn a berth in the College World Series.
Texas A&M (42-18) is heading to its seventh CWS looking for its first championship. Louisville (42-21-1) has made five CWS appearances — four of them since 2013 — without a title.
Jacob Palisch took the mound in the ninth for the Aggies after Brad Rudis gave up a lead-off single to Christian Knapczyk. Palisch struck out Metzinger swinging on a full count for the first out and Dalton Rushing flied out to left field for the second. Knapczyk took second on a wild pitch, but Palisch struck out clean-up hitter Jack Payton swinging to end the game with his fifth save.
Louisville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on Rushing’s two-run home run. The Aggies pulled even in the third on Rock’s bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly by Austin Bost.
The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Payton’s two-out RBI single, but Ryan Targac homered to left-center on the first pitch from Riley Phillips in the sixth to knot the score at 3-3.
The Aggies rallied in the seventh after Trevor Werner was hit by a pitch from Ryan Hawks (5-3) with one out. Jack Moss singled Werner to third and Rock followed with his sac fly.
Will Johnston (3-1) worked a scoreless 12/3 innings to get the win.
KNOXVILLE, TENN.
TENNESSEE 12,
NOTRE DAME 4
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Luc Lipcius hit two home runs in an eight-run fifth inning and No. 1 overall seed Tennessee rolled to a victory over Notre Dame to stay alive.
Tennessee (57-8) and Notre Dame (39-15) will play a third game today.
Tennessee was clinging to a 1-0 lead — on Trey Lipscomb’s RBI double in the first inning — heading into the top of the fifth. Lipcius homered off Notre Dame starter John Bertrand (9-3) on a 1-1 pitch to lead off. Cortland Lawson doubled and moved to third on a single by Seth Stephenson. One out later, Jordan Beck hit a three-run shot to make it 5-0.
GREENVILLE, N.C.
TEXAS 9,
EAST CAROLINA 8
GREENVILLE, N.C. — Dylan Campbell drove in the winning run with a two-out bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning and No. 9 overall seed Texas overcame a five-run deficit to beat No. 8 seed East Carolina to stay alive.
Texas (45-21) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Eric Kennedy reached on a one-out single and stole second with two outs. Murphy Stehly drove in Kennedy with a single, stole second and scored on a throwing error by Pirates third baseman Alec Makarewicz.
Jacob Starling hit a two-out home run in the top of the ninth off Texas reliever Andre Duplantier II (3-1) to tie the game.
Freshman Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (1-1) started the ninth for East Carolina and yielded a lead-off single to Ivan Melendez. Todd was walked intentionally after a successful sacrifice bunt by Mitchell Daly. Messinger popped out before Silas Ardoin drew a walk to load the bases and set the stage for Campbell.
HATTIESBURG, MISS.
MISSISSIPPI 10,
SOUTHERN MISS 0
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Tim Elko drove in the first run of the game with a single and added a two-run double in a seven-run sixth inning to power Mississippi to a romp over No. 11 overall seed Southern Mississippi.
Ole Miss (36-22) and Southern Miss (47-18) will play again today.
Dylan DeLucia (6-2) pitched 52/3 innings in a start for the Rebels, allowing only four hits and two walks while striking out nine. Jack Dougherty permitted only one baserunner — on a hit by pitch — in the final 31/3 innings to notch his second save.
Hurston Waldrep (6-2) was tagged with the loss for the Golden Eagles.
BLACKSBURG, VA.
WEST VIRGINIA 14,
OKLAHOMA 8
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Nick Biddison hit two of No. 4 overall seed Virginia Tech’s five home runs, including one to lead off the game, and the Hokies stayed alive.
The win by Virginia Tech (45-12) forces a winner-take-all game with Oklahoma (40-22) today.
Gavin Cross and Cade Hunter hit tworun shots in the third to put Virginia Tech ahead 5-0.
Jonah Hurney (6-1) pitched four shutout innings in relief to get the win. He allowed just two hits, striking out seven.
David Sandlin (8-4) took the loss for Oklahoma.