Holt, Texas Tech beat Duke; North Carolina advances
LUBBOCK — Gabe Holt went 3-for-5 and drove in the goahead run in the eighth inning to help Texas Tech beat Duke 6-4 on Saturday in the opener of the best-of-three Lubbock NCAA super regional.
Holt's single to right field scored Cody Farhat and, four pitches later, Brian Klein's RBI double gave Texas Tech (43-17) a two-run lead entering the ninth.
Duke (44-17) took a 3-0 lead when Zack Kone hit a two-RBI double in the top of the fifth. Grant Little’s two-out, two-RBI double in the bottom of the inning and Holt's bases-loaded fielder's choice made it 3-all in the sixth.
Kone finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs for Duke.
NORTH CAROLINA 7, STETSON 5
The Tar Heels jumped on Stetson starter Jack Perkins in a four-run first inning and clinched a trip to the College World Series by beating the Hatters at Chapel Hill, N.C.
Cody Roberts, Brandon Riley and Ashton McGee had RBI doubles in that first inning for the host Tar Heels (43-18), the No. 6 national seed who swept the best-of-three series.
Reliever Caden O'Brien (6-0) earned the win, while UNC finished with 14 hits on the way to earning their first trip to the College World Series since 2013.
Jonathan Meola and Andrew MacNeil each hit solo home runs for the Hatters (48-13), the No. 11 national seed. Stetson had 13 hits but struggled with runners in scoring position for the second straight day.
FLORIDA 8, AUBURN 2
Wil Dalton drove in two runs, Deacon Liput homered for the second time in three games and the top-seeded Gators roughed up No. 1 draft pick Casey Mize and the Tigers in the opening game of a best-of-three series at Gainesville, Fla.
The defending national champion Gators (46-18) are now one victory away from returning to the College World Series for the fourth consecutive year.
Pitching for the first time since becoming first-round draft picks, Brady Singer outdueled Mize for the second time in 44 days. Mize went to Detroit with the first pick Monday and Singer taken by Kansas City with the 18th selection.
Mize (10-6) gave up six earned runs on seven hits and walked a career-high four. Singer (12-1) allowed four hits and two earned runs in 62⁄3 innings.
ARKANSAS 9 SOUTH CAROLINA 3
Carson Shaddy drove in four runs, including a three-run double in the seventh inning, as the Razorbacks won the opening game of a best-of-three series at Fayetteville, Ark.
Shaddy's double off the top of the fence in left center fieldcleared the bases for the Razorbacks (43-18), making it 7-3.
CAL. ST.-FULLERTON 5 WASHINGTON 2
Junior right hander Tommy Wilson pitched seven strong innings to lead the Titans at Fullerton, Calif., to even their best-of-three series at a game apiece. Wilson (7-0) limited the Huskies to one run and three hits.
VANDERBILT 4 MISSISSIPPI ST. 3
J.J. Bleday’s walkoff home run with one out in the ninth inning lifted the Commodores to a victory at Nashville, Tenn., to even the series at a game apiece.