AUBURN BOUNCES STANFORD FROM CWS

Cole Foster’s three-run double in the sixth inning gave Auburn the lead, and the Tigers beat No. 2 national seed Stanford 6-2 in a College World Series elimination game for their first win in Omaha in 25 years.

Auburn 6, Stanford 2

The Tigers (44-21) will play today against Arkansas.

Stanford (47-18) concluded a short, disappointing stay in Omaha. The Cardinal lost their opener against Arkansas 17-2 — the most lopsided game here in 34 years — and then did next to nothing after taking an early lead against Auburn.

Stanford, which staved off elimination five times in its regional and super regional, went 0-2 in a CWS for the first time in 18 appearances.

Trace Bright (5-4) went five innings for the win and Blake Burkhalter, the Tigers’ star closer, struck out six of the eight batters he faced for his 16th save.

Auburn had been 0-3 in the CWS since beating Rice 10-1 in 1997.

“It’s important for us as we continue to try to build our program and build a brand of respectability, sincere respectability,” Tigers coach Butch Thompson said. “So it is a big deal and it gives us a chance to compete again.”

The Tigers, who lost 5-1 to Mississippi on Saturday, had managed one run and seven hits in 14 innings before breaking out in the sixth against the Cardinal.

“When time passes, no one is going to remember what the score was of any of our games or what our record here at Omaha was,” Cardinal coach David Esquer said.

“I think what I will remember is I had a chance to go to the College World Series with a team I love and spend about a week trying to play for the national championship.”

Mississippi 13, Arkansas 5: The Rebels are one win away from the College World Series finals.

Tim Elko and Calvin Harris homered and Hunter Elliott pitched effectively into the seventh inning in a win over Arkansas.

The Rebels have won seven straight in the NCAA Tournament after being the final team awarded an atlarge bid.

Justin Bench was 4-for-6 with two RBIs as the Rebels finished with 13 hits against seven pitchers.