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 fifth and sixth innings, and four more in the sixth.
Kip Fougerousse led the way, batting 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 and Evan Waggoner had two hits apiece. 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) had on Friday set a pair of NCAA Baseball Championship Super Regional records 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 game 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 the three homers for 28 on the season. Right-hander Conner Whittaker (5-0) pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for FSU, allowing 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 homered for five of their 20 hits 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.
–Field Level Media
