Tennessee rebounds to force 3rd game
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Luc Lipcius hit two home runs in an eight-run fifth inning and No. 1 overall seed Tennessee rolled to a 12-4 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday to stay alive in the Knoxville Super Regional.
Tennessee (57-8) and
Notre Dame (39-15) will play a third game on Sunday with a berth in the College World Series on the line.
The Fighting Irish beat Tennessee 8-6 on Friday. Tennessee is looking for its second straight and sixth CWS appearance overall. The Vols have never won the event, finishing second in 1951. Notre Dame has made
two CWS appearances — 1957 and 2002.
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. After Lipscomb popped out, Evan Russell homered to left field. Jackson Dennies relieved Bertrand and walked Jared Dickey before yielding a single to Christian Moore. Lipcius made it 9-0 with a three-run shot.
Jorel Ortega had a RBI double in a three-run seventh to cap the scoring for the Volunteers.
VIRGINIA TECH 14 OKLAHOMA 8
Nick Biddison hit two of the No. 4 overall seed Hokies' five home runs, including one to lead off the game, and the Hokies stayed alive in the Blacksburg Super Regional.
The win by Virginia Tech (45-12) forces a winner-takeall game with the Sooners (40-22) on Sunday for a berth in the College World Series. The Sooners beat the Hokies 5-4 in Friday's opener. The Sooners are aiming for their 11th CWS appearance — winning the event in 1951 and 1994. Virginia Tech has never been to the CWS and just won its first regional tournament.
ARKANSAS 4 NORTH CAROLINA 1
Peyton Stoval sparked a three-run fifth inning with a lead-off home run, Connor Noland threw 62⁄3 shutout innings and the Razorbacks upset the No. 10 overall seed Tar Heels in the first round of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
Arkansas (42-19) and North Carolina (42-21), both making a 10th super regional appearance, will play again on Sunday. A win by the Razorbacks would send them to their 11th College World Series in search of their first title. A win by the Tar Heels would force a winner-take-all game on Monday. The two schools are playing for the first time in 33 years.
MISSISSIPPI 10 SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 0
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 the Rebels (36-22) past the No. 11 overall seed Golden Eagles (47-18) in the first round of the Hattiesburg Super Regional.
Ole Miss and Southern Miss will play again on Sunday. A win by the Rebels would send them to the College World Series. If the Golden Eagles win it would force a deciding game on Monday.