Isaiah Howes hit a grand slam and drove in six runs Sunday as host Louisville pounded out 21 hits in routing Oklahoma State 20-2 to earn its first trip to the College World Series.
“We just kept putting run after run after run on the board, and that helps when you’re on the mound,” said pitcher Skylar Meade, who earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
The Cardinals (46-22), playing in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history, will meet Rice on Friday in the first round of the College World Series in Omaha.
Louisville scored five runs in the second and fourth innings and scored four more in the fifth and eighth.
“It’s a great day for Louisville baseball,” said Louisville coach Dan McDonnell.
Oklahoma State (42-21) came into the super regional with a baseball pedigree, including one national title and 19 CWS appearances. But it was Louisville, which had never won an NCAA Tournament game before this season, that brought the big bats.
The Cardinals outhit Oklahoma State 42-17 and outscored the Cowboys 31-5 in the three-game series.
“We got on their starter early and when teams go to their bullpen early against us, that’s a big advantage for us,” said Louisville’s Logan Johnson, who went 3-for-4 with four runs scored.
CAL-IRVINE 3, WICHITA STATE 2 at Wichita: Bryan Peterson’s double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Anteaters (45-15-1) to the College World Series for the first time in school history.
Right-hander Wes Etheridge held Wichita State to five hits in 8 1/3 innings.
The Shockers (53-22) tied it with two runs in the top of the ninth, breaking a 21 2/3-inning scoreless streak, helped by a controversial call. After Derek Schermerhorn singled, Damon Sublett grounded to shortstop Ben Orloff and was ruled out in a close play at first. Shockers coach Gene Stephenson came out to argue the call, saying first baseman Taylor Holiday’s foot came off the bag.
After a brief discussion, plate umpire Scott Erby overturned the call and ruled Sublett safe.
Television replays appeared to show that Holiday’s foot was on the base when he caught the ball. Two outs later, pinch-hitter Danny Jackson walked to load the bases and Tyler Hill singled through the right side to tie it at 2.
The Anteaters came right back in their half, as Matt Morris hit a one-out single off Arvada West graduate Anthony Capra and scored when Peterson doubled over right fielder Matt Brown.
OREGON STATE 1, MICHIGAN 0 at Corvallis, Ore.: Joey Wong’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning spoiled Zach Putnam’s bid for a no-hitter and led the defending national champion Beavers (43-18) in the opening game of their super regional.
Wong hit a soft liner on a 1-2 pitch from Putnam into left field to score pinch-runner Braden Wells from second base as the throw to the plate from Michigan’s Derek VanBuskirk was late.
Putnam (8-5) struck out eight and walked three. He didn’t allow an Oregon State base-runner until Scott Santschi’s one-out walk in the sixth.
The Beavers need one more win to reach the CWS for the third straight year.
N. CAROLINA 9, S. CAROLINA 4 at Chapel Hill, N.C.: Chad Flack’s tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh off reliever Will Atwood snapped a 4-4 tie. It was the second straight year Flack homered to send the Tar Heels (53-13) to the CWS.
Flack’s two-run, game-ending homer in last season’s super regional at Alabama gave the Tar Heels their first CWS berth since 1989.
ARIZONA STATE 7, MISSISSIPPI 1 at Tempe, Ariz.: Josh Satow (13-3) scattered five hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings, Brett Wallace homered and drove in three runs and the Sun Devils advanced to the CWS for the second time in three years by completing a two-game super regional sweep of Mississippi.
RESULTS
NCAA Division I super regionals
(Best of three)
AT BOSHAMER STADIUM
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Friday
North Carolina 9, South Carolina 6
Saturday
South Carolina 8, North Carolina 5,
susp., 7th inning, rain
Sunday
South Carolina 8, North Carolina 6,
comp. of susp. game
North Carolina 9, South Carolina 4,
North Carolina wins series 2-1
AT JIM PATTERSON STADIUM
Louisville, Ky.
Friday
Louisville 9, Oklahoma State 0
Saturday
Oklahoma State 3, Louisville 2
Sunday
Louisville 20, Oklahoma State 2,
Louisville win series 2-1
AT DUDY NOBLE FIELD
POLK-DEMENT STADIUM
Starkville, Miss.
Friday
Mississippi State 8, Clemson 6
Saturday
Mississippi State 8, Clemson 5,
Mississippi State wins series 2-0
AT ECK STADIUM
Wichita
Saturday
Cal-Irvine 1, Wichita State 0
Sunday
Cal-Irvine 3, Wichita State 2,
Cal-Irvine wins series 2-0
AT RECKLING PARK
Houston
Friday
Rice 3, Texas A&M 2, 10 innings
Saturday
Rice 5, Texas A&M 2,
Rice wins series 2-0
AT PACKARD STADIUM
Tempe, Ariz.
Saturday
Arizona State 4, Mississippi 3
Sunday
Arizona State 7, Mississippi 1,
Arizona State wins series 2-0
AT GOODWIN FIELD
Fullerton, Calif.
Saturday
Cal State Fullerton 12, UCLA 2
Sunday
Cal State Fullerton 2, UCLA 1,
Cal State wins series 2-0
AT GOSS STADIUM
Corvallis, Ore.
Saturday
Michigan at Oregon State, ppd, rain
Sunday
Oregon State 1, Michigan 0
Today
Michigan (42-18) vs. Oregon State (43-18), 2 p.m.
Tuesday
Michigan vs. Oregon State, TBA,
if necessary
