Wildcats oust Bulldogs with 11th-inning run
Arizona captures super regional
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Cesar Salazar hit a two-out single in the 11th inning to cap an improbable comeback as Arizona rallied to beat Mississippi State 6-5 on Saturday night in the Starkville Super Regional and advance to the College World Series.
Arizona (44-21) makes it to Omaha, Nebraska, for the first time since winning the national title in 2012. The Wildcats trailed 5-1 going into the eighth, but Ryan Aguilar’s three-run homer jolted the team’s offense.
Arizona added another run in the ninth to force extra innings and then Salazar, a freshman catcher, smacked a bouncing ball through the right side of the infield for the deciding hit.
Mississippi State (44-18-1) got two solo homers from Brent Rooker (ECS) and 5⅓ solid innings from starter Austin Sexton.
But the Bulldogs’ bullpen failed to hold the lead. Ryan Rigby gave up the three-run homer, Reid Humphreys the tying run and Blake Smith the winner.
MSU was cruising after Rooker’s second homer put the Bulldogs up 5-1 in the eighth. But Arizona’s Aguilar quieted the crowd of 13,452 with his three-run shot over the right-field wall.
Mississippi State led 5-4 going into the ninth, but Alfonso Rivas hit a tying single for Arizona.
Arizona’s Cameron Ming pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn his third win of the season. He also had the save in the Wildcats’ victory in the opener on Friday.
In other super regionals, No. 5 national seed Texas Tech and Boston College kept their seasons alive, and Florida State, UC Santa Barbara and Oklahoma State won their openers.
Eric Gutierrez’s tiebreaking bases-loaded single with two outs in the top of the 13th led Texas Tech to a 3-1 victory that evened the series against East Carolina in Lubbock, Texas.
Boston College rode a fourrun fourth inning to a 5-3 victory that squared its series with No. 3 national seed Miami at a game apiece in Coral Gables, Florida.
Drew Carlton pitched a twohitter and retired the last 19 Florida batters to help Florida State beat the No. 1 overall seed Gators 3-0 in Gainesville.
Austin Bush hit his fourth homer of the postseason and UC Santa Barbara defeated No. 2 Louisville 4-2, the Cardinals’ second loss in 38 home games this season.
Oklahoma State got another strong performance from Big 12 pitcher of the year Thomas Hatch in a 5-1 win over South Carolina in Columbia. The Cowboys have outscored their four NCAA Tournament opponents 32-5.