Evansville staved off elimination on Saturday, stunning No. 1 Tennessee 10-8 to force a deciding third game on Sunday at their super regional series in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Purple Aces are making their first super regional appearance after becoming just the ninth No. 4 regional seed to advance in NCAA Division I history. They rebounded from an 11-6 loss to the heavily favored Volunteers in Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Friday.
Tennessee (54-12) led 4-0 through two innings on Saturday, but Evansville (39-25) surged to a 10-5 lead on three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, and four more in the sixth.
Kip Fougerousse led the way, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, three runs scored and his 22nd home run of the season with one runner aboard in the sixth. Teammates Chase Hug, Cal McGinnis, Brandon Hord and Evan Waggoner had two hits apiece with McGinnis and Hord also going deep.
Jakob Meyer (4-4) picked up the win in relief after allowing two hits, one run and two walks with one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings.
The Volunteers, who scored three runs in the ninth to make it tight, got home runs from Hunter Ensley, Blake Burke and Dylan Dreiling. Left-hander Kirby Connell (4-1) allowed an RBI double in facing only one batter in the fifth to take the loss.
No. 8 Florida State 10, UConn 8 (12 innings)
James Tibbs III hit a two-run home run — his third blast of the game — to lift the Seminoles to a sweep of the Huskies in the Tallahassee Super Regional and their 24th trip to the College World Series.
FSU (47-15) set a pair of NCAA Baseball Championship Super Regional records on Friday in a 24-4 win in Game 1 — most runs and largest victory margin. UConn (35-26) took an early 2-0 lead on Saturday and rallied from a 5-2 deficit to regain the lead 7-6 in the sixth.
The Seminoles tied the score at 7 on Jaxson West’s solo homer in the eighth and led 8-7 on Drew Faurot’s sacrifice fly in the ninth. UConn was resilient, forcing extra innings on Matt Malcolm’s solo homer to lead off the bottom of the ninth.
Tibbs finished 5-for-6 with six RBIs, three runs scored and now has 31 homers this season. Right-hander Conner Whittaker (5-0) pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for FSU, allowing one hit with three strikeouts in the victory.
The Huskies’ Luke Broadhurst was 4-for-5 with six RBIs and one homer. Right-hander Brady Afthim (2-3) allowed two hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.
No. 10 NC State 18, No. 7 Georgia 1
The Wolfpack scored 11 runs in the second inning and five of their 20 hits were homers to deal the host Bulldogs a resounding loss in the opener of the Athens Super Regional.
NC State third baseman Alec Makarewicz was 4-for-6, including his 21st home run this season, while catcher Jacob Cozart was 3-for-6 with his 17th and 18th homers. They each scored three times, as did left fielder Luke Nixon (3-for-4, three RBIs). Starter Sam Highfill (7-2) allowed four hits, one run and three walks with two strikeouts in six innings for the victory.
Georgia (42-16), which scored its lone run in the fifth on Corey Collins’ RBI single, fell behind early when NC State (37-20) pushed across 11 runs in the second on 11 hits and one error. The first eight batters hit safely against starter Kolten Smith (9-3), and 15 batters went to the plate. Smith yielded 10 hits and 10 runs (eight earned) in one-plus innings in the loss.
No. 3 Texas A&M 10, Oregon 6
Right-hander Chris Cortez pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings in relief and struck out 10 as the Aggies overcame a rough start to win the first game of the Bryan-College Station Super Regional. Game 2 will be Sunday.
Hayden Schott had three hits and three RBIs for Texas A&M (48-13). Jackson Appel and Kaeden Kent drove in two runs apiece. The Aggies broke open a close game with three runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
Left-hander Ryan Prager started for Texas A&M and surrendered six runs on seven hits and a hit batter in 1 2/3 innings. Cortez (9-3) entered in the second inning with a runner on second after the Ducks had already scored four runs to take a 6-3. He got a strikeout to end the inning. He gave up two hits and three walks.
Oregon starter RJ Gordon (7-6) was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings. Ryan Featherston surrendered another three runs in two-thirds of an inning as the Aggies began to pull away.
Anson Aroz homered and drove in three runs for the Ducks (40-19). Chase Meggers drove in two.
Florida 10, No. 6 Clemson 7
The Gators scored seven runs in the fifth inning to pull away from the Tigers in the Clemson Super Regional. Game two is set for Sunday.
Jac Caglianone’s three-run homer opened the scoring in the fifth for Florida (33-28). Luke Heyman finished with two RBIs and Tyler Shelnut also homered. Fisher Jameson (5-0) picked up the win by pitching four innings in relief. He gave up three runs on four hits and a walk.
Brandon Neely earned his fourth save by pitching four scoreless innings. He struck out seven and allowed only one hit and a walk.
Clemson starter Tristan Smith (2-1) surrendered five runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in four-plus innings. Jimmy Obertop and Tristan Bissetta hit solo home runs for the Tigers (44-15).
No. 12 Virginia 10, Kansas State 4
The Cavaliers scored five runs in the ninth inning to finish off a two-game sweep of the Wildcats.
Jacob Ference tripled in two runs and pinch hitter Luke Hanson doubled in three more in the inning for Virginia (46-15). Henry Ford also drove in two runs for the Cavaliers. Starter Jay Woolfolk (4-1) worked 6 1/3 innings, holding the Wildcats to three runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out seven.
Jackson Wentworth (5-6) took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out five. Kyan Lodice had two hits and drove in one run for Kansas State (35-26).
No. 2 Kentucky 10, No. 15 Oregon State 0
Trey Pooser struck out eight and allowed one hit in seven innings as the Wildcats opened the Lexington Super Regional with a win over the Beavers.
Ryan Nicholson hit a two-run homer as Kentucky exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning. He also doubled among his three hits and drove in three runs. Emilien Pitre had two RBIs. Pooser (7-1) scattered four walks for the Wildcats (44-14).
Aiden May (7-1) took the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk in five-plus innings. He struck out five. Elijah Hainline had the Beavers’ only hit, a single in the second inning for Oregon State (45-15).
No. 4 North Carolina 2, West Virginia 1
Jason DeCaro and Dalton Pence combined for a four-hitter as the Tar Heels completed a two-game sweep of the Mountaineers in the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
DeCaro (6-1) gave up one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings, and Pence struck out six in the final 2 2/3 innings for his eighth save. Vance Honeycutt homered in the first inning and scored North Carolina’s second run in the third inning on a single by Parks Harber. The Tar Heels improved to 47-14.
West Virginia starter Tyler Switalski (5-3) gave up two runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Carson Estridge kept the Mountaineers close, striking out six in the closing 2 2/3 innings. Kyle West singled home a run in the seventh for West Virginia (36-24), before Pence got a strikeout with runners on first and second to preserve the lead.
