There were close calls for several national seeds late on Saturday, as Vanderbilt and LSU both had to come from behind, and Oregon State and Virginia squeaked by with one- and two-run victories, respectively. It was a much easier road for seventh-seeded Florida State, who trounced Troy for an 11-0 victory.
Oklahoma 5, Connecticut 3
A line drive off the bat of Oklahoma senior Max White tipped off the glove of UConn’s center fielder and resulted in a game-winning RBI triple in the top of the 12th inning. The Sooners took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but UConn chipped its way back into the game with one run each in the first, sixth and eighth to make it 3-3. OU’s bullpen combined for four hits and one earned run over the final 6⅓ innings to keep the game in check and set up the dramatic finish. The Sooners improved to 2-0, while the Huskies fell to 1-1.
Two runs in the top of the fifth were the difference in this one as Virginia improved to 2-0 and dropped Elon into the losers’ bracket. Cavs ace Scott Silverstein won a pitchers’ duel, fanning six through six shutout innings to pick up his 10th win of the year. It wasn’t always easy for the senior lefty, as he had to work through a bases-loaded jam in the third.
(1) North Carolina 8, Towson 5
Towson made it interesting with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 7-5, but they would get no closer as top-seeded North Carolina advanced to the regional championship game. Shortstop Michael Russell went 3-for-5 and provided what turned out to be the difference with three RBIs. Towson now faces an elimination game against Florida Atlantic on Sunday.
(4) LSU 8, Sam Houston St. 5
LSU ace Aaron Nola gave up five runs and threw 42 pitches in the first inning but managed to settle down and grind through six more innings to set his team up for a dramatic eighth-inning comeback. The Tigers’ offense clawed its way back to a one-run deficit before exploding for four runs to take the lead in the eighth. Freshman slugger Alex Bregman paced the Tigers with three hits and one RBI as his team moved within one game of advancing to the super regionals.
(2) Vanderbilt 10, Illinois 4
After going down 5-3 in the fourth inning, the Commodores responded with eight unanswered runs to shut the door on an Illinois upset bid. Vandy didn’t get the start it expected from ace Tyler Beede, who lasted only four innings and gave up four runs, though only one was earned. But Carson Fulmer entered to steady things down and hold the Illini off the board for the remaining five frames. A questionable call by the home plate umpire in the fifth turned out to be a key moment in the game. An errant throwout attempt by Commodore catcher Spence Navin sailed into center field and allowed Illinois to tie the game at five, but the Illini batter was called out for interference and the run was erased.
