San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Virginia evens series with 14-hit romp
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Griff O'Ferrall hit his first home run of the season to lead off the game Saturday, sparking Virginia to a 14-4 rout over Duke to keep its season alive, pulling even in their best-of-three Super Regional.
The No. 7 Cavaliers (49-13) also had home runs from Jake Gelof, Anthony Stephan and Ethan Anderson as part of a 14-hit barrage one day after surrendering a lead late in a series-opening loss to the Blue Devils.
Junior Connelly Early (11-2) pitched seven effective innings, scattering nine hits and striking out eight batters for Virginia, while Duke starter Anthony Gow was hit hard, allowing four runs on five hits in 3 1⁄3 innings pitched.
Gelof, the Cavaliers' all-time leader in home runs, hit his 23rd of the year in the eight inning with the game already well in-hand. The junior from Behoboth Beach, Del., had three hits and drove in four runs to lead Virginia, which had seven different players drive in runs in the game.
Duke (39-23), which was trying to earn its first trip to the College World Series in 62 years after rallying to win Game 1 of the series Friday, fought back early after falling into a 4-0 deficit.
A two-run double by Luke Storm chased two runs home in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Damon Lux followed with an RBI double, scoring
Storm and cutting the lead the 4-3.
But the Cavaliers fought right back in top of the fifth inning.
After a one-out single by Gelof, reliever Adam Boucher hit Aidan Teel with a 1-1 pitch, putting two runners on for Anderson, who followed with his 13th home run of the season. Stephan followed two batters later with a solo home run, and the four-run inning put the game effectively out of reach.
The two teams will meet Sunday in a decisive Game 3.
WAKE FOREST 5 ALABAMA 4
In Winston-Salem,
N.C., sophomore Danny Corona hit a tie-breaking home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to help the No. 1 seed Demon Deacons beat the Crimson Tide on Saturday in the opening game of their Super Regional series.
Rhett Lowder, the ACC's Pitcher of the Year, allowed a pair of home runs, but struck out six batters in 6 innings to earn his 15th victory of the season, while Luke Holman took the loss for Alabama.
Wake Forest (51-10), playing in its first super regional since 2017, moved to within one win of the program's first trip to the College World Series since 1955.
Tommy Hawke and Justin Johnson also homered for the Demon Decons, while Caden Rose homered twice for the Crimson Tide (43-20).
FRIDAY’S GAMES
OREGON 9
ORAL ROBERTS 8
In Eugene, Ore., Bennett Thompson hit two home runs, Drew Cowley singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Ducks rallied from an eight-run deficit to end the Golden Eagles' 21game winning streak.
Oregon (41-20), which won the second regional title in program history last week, had a chance to
advance to the College World Series with a win over Oral Roberts (49-12) on Saturday in the bestof-3 series. The Ducks have made only one previous CWS appearance — in 1954. They lost both games. The Golden Eagles had to win Saturday and Sunday to advance to their second CWS and first since 1978.
Matt Hogan hit a threerun home run in the third inning for Oral Roberts and Jake McMurray capped the eight-run inning with a three-run single. Oregon answered with home runs from Jacob Walsh and Thompson leading off the bottom half of the inning.
Thompson hit a threerun homer in the fourth to pull the Ducks within 8-5. Drew Smith hit a solo shot in the sixth and Cowley and Tanner Smith added RBI singles in the seventh to tie it at 8.
No. 9 hitter Gavin
Grant and Rikuu Nishida drew walks to lead off the ninth. A fielder's choice forced Grant out at third before Cowley delivered his game-winner, scoring Nishida.
Josh Mollerus (3-2) got the last four outs to earn the victory. Dalton Patten (4-2) took the loss.
FLORIDA 5
SOUTH CAROLINA 4
In Gainesville, Fla., BT Riopelle hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning and the Gators got two other home runs in a victory over the Gamecocks on Friday in the series' weather-delayed opening game.
After a 2-hour, 37minute weather delay, South Carolina's Will McGillis hit the second pitch of the game out for a home run. Gavin Casas added an RBI single for a 2-0 lead, but Flordia tied it in the bottom of the first on a two-out home run by Josh Rivera.
McGillis came to bat again with one out in the second and delivered an RBI single for a 3-2 South Carolina lead.
Florida (49-15) tied it in the fifth on a leadoff home run by Tyler Shelnut and went ahead in the sixth on Riopelle's deep drive to straightaway center field. Rivera scored from second on a two-out single by Shelnut in the eighth inning.