Arkansas routs Texas at CWS
Razorbacks use an eight-run sixth inning to win their Omaha opener 11-5; Texas Tech gets past Florida 6-3.
Once Arkansas’ offense got rolling Sunday against Texas in the sixth inning, nothing could stop the Razorbacks. Not even the weather.
Five straight batters had reached base when the teams were pulled from the field for a weather delay. When play resumed 2 hours 49 minutes later, five more in a row got on base.
What turned into an eight-run sixth carried the Razorbacks to an 11-5 win in their College World Series opener in Omaha.
“We have such a balanced lineup, and we all know what we’re trying to do at the plate,” Arkansas’ Luke Bonfield said.
“Once Casey Martin had that leadoff hit after the rain delay, everything snowballed, and we got a ton more momentum and we never let up on the gas.”
The Razorbacks (45-19) scored double-digit runs for the fourth time in six NCAA tournament wins and had their highest total in 28 CWS games. The Longhorns (4222), in the CWS for a record 36th time, lost their third straight Omaha opener since 2011.
Bonfield delivered the first home run of the CWS with his two-run shot to left for a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Parker Joe Robinson took over for Texas starter Nolan Kingham (8-5) to start the sixth and walked the only two batters he faced.
That started a parade of pitchers who either struggled to find the strike zone or got dinged for single after single. Texas hadn’t given up so many runs in an inning this season.
“I’m not shell-shocked,” Longhorns coach David Pierce said. “It’s just part of it. Unfortunately, it got away from us, and we couldn’t overcome the deficit.”
Texas will face Florida in an elimination game Tuesday while Arkansas takes on Texas Tech.
Texas Tech 6, Florida 3: Gabe Holt hit a tiebreaking single in the fifth and drove in an insurance run in the ninth, leading Texas Tech to a victory over the defending national champions.
The Red Raiders (45-18) won their CWS opener for the first time in their three appearances, and they did it against the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and a first-round draft pick in starting pitcher Brady Singer.
Texas Tech pitchers limited the Gators to five hits but issued five walks. That was more than good enough against a Florida offense that has struggled for three straight games.
To have a chance to repeat as champions, the Gators (47-20) must win four straight to reach the best-ofthree finals. Only Oregon State (2006) and South Carolina (2010) have lost their Omaha openers and made it to the finals since the tournament went to its current structure in 1999.