Michael Robertson slapped a two-run double in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift Florida to a wild 11-10 win over No. 6 Clemson and a two-game sweep of the Clemson (S.C.) Super Regional on Sunday.
After Cam Cannarella’s three-run home run tied the game 9-9 for Clemson in the ninth, Alden Mathes put the Tigers in front with a solo shot in the top of the 13th. Mathes spiked his bat in celebration and received a warning from an umpire, which led to manager Erik Bakich and another Clemson coach to be ejected for arguing with the crew.
Then came Florida’s half of the inning. Luke Heyman and Tyler Shelnut singled off Ethan Darden (5-5) and were sacrificed over to third and second. Following an intentional walk to load the bases, Robertson came through on a 1-0 pitch for the Gators (34-28), who will make their second straight trip (and 14th overall trip) to the College World Series.
Jac Caglianone, Brody Donay and Ashton Wilson all hit two-run home runs for Florida. Luke McNeillie (4-6) yielded nothing more than Mathes’ homer in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Blake Wright and Jimmy Obertop added homers for Clemson (44-16).
No. 1 Tennessee 12, Evansville 1
Christian Moore and Dalton Bargo each supplied two of the Volunteers’ seven home runs as they bashed their way past the Purple Aces to win the Knoxville Super Regional two games to one.
Brent Widder drove in a run in the top of the first to give Evansville (39-26) some more reason to hope after it upset the tournament’s top-seeded team 10-8 on Saturday. But Moore answered with a solo shot in the bottom half, and the barrage began with four more runs in the second inning.
Dean Curley, Billy Amick and Cal Stark also left the yard for Tennessee (55-12); the team’s first five were solo shots before Amick hit a two-run shot and Stark drove in three in the fifth. Starter Zander Sechrist (4-1) scattered six hits and one unearned run while striking out six in 6 1/3 innings, while Evansville starter Kevin Reed (5-3) was dinged for five runs on four hits in 1 1/3.
No. 3 Texas A&M 15, Oregon 9
Kaeden Kent’s grand slam highlighted a nine-run seventh inning as the Aggies came from behind to beat the Ducks and finish the two-game sweep in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional.
Wildness from two Oregon pitchers also contributed heavily to the Aggies’ outburst. They walked seven in the inning and hit a batter. The first five runs of the frame came on walks and the hit batter.
Kent finished with three hits, five RBIs and two runs, and teammate Hayden Schott added a two-run shot in the eighth inning. He had four hits, four RBIs and three runs as Texas A&M improved to 49-13.
Zane Badmaev (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth inning to get the win, and Evan Aschenbeck recorded his ninth save by going the final three frames. He allowed a run on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
Chase Meggers launched a two-run homer and Drew Smith and Anson Aroz added solo shots as Oregon (40-20) took a 4-1 lead after the first inning, and the Ducks led 8-4 until the fateful seventh inning. Dominic Hellman added a solo homer in the eighth inning and finished with three hits, two runs and two RBIs. Smith also had three hits.
Brock Moore (4-1), Oregon’s second pitcher, surrendered seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. He walked five and allowed two hits while striking out two.
No. 2 Kentucky 3, No. 15 Oregon State 2
Nolan McCarthy scored on a wild pitch to break a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning and the Wildcats went on to get the sweep of the Beavers in the Lexington Super Regional.
McCarthy doubled to lead off the inning against Oregon State starter Jacob Kmatz, and reliever Nelson Keljo entered and retired the first batter he faced. Keljo struck out the next batter, but the third strike was a wild pitch. McCarthy took third and kept coming when Keljo failed to cover home.
McCarthy had two of the Wildcats’ four hits and drove in their other runs in the second and fourth innings.
Oregon State’s runs came in the fourth inning when Kentucky starter Mason Moore walked four batters and another reached on an error. The runs came on back-to-back walks with the bases loaded before Cameron O’Brien (3-0) entered to get consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. The Beavers had just two hits in the game.
Kentucky improved to 45-14 on the season, while Oregon State fell to 45-16. No. 7 Georgia 11, North Carolina State 2
The host Bulldogs had 15 hits, including four home runs, to turn the tables on the Wolfpack and tie the Athens (Ga.) Super Regional at one game apiece in the best-of-three series.
After NC State crushed Georgia 18-1 on Saturday, Bulldogs designated hitter Tre Phelps hit a three-run homer to center off Wolfpack starter Dominic Fritton to stake the Bulldogs (43-16) to a 5-0 lead in the third inning. He added an RBI in the fourth when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Fernando Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI for Georgia. Corey Collins and Slate Alford each added two hits, including a home run, and two RBIs, while Paul Toetz was 2-for-5 with a solo homer. NC State (37-21) was led by Jacob Cozart, who was 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Brandon Butterworth added two hits.
Georgia right-hander Leighton Finley (6-1) allowed one run on eight hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five. Fritton (3-6) gave up seven runs on seven hits and a walk in three-plus innings and took the loss.
