Game 2 of the best-of-three series is today. Texas needs a win to reach its first College World Series since 2005.
Torres, who was 4-for-5, hit a solo homer in the second inning to give the Longhorns (45-13-1) a 3-1 lead. His three-run homer in the seventh broke the game open, making it 10-4.
Brandon Loy scored the Longhorns’ first run in the seventh inning on a sacrifice by Connor Rowe. Cameron Rupp and Russell Moldenhauer then came home on the Torres’ blast.
Chance Ruffin (10-2) struck out seven batters in his third complete game this season.
Kyle Winkler (7-1) gave up five hits and four earned runs for the Horned Frogs (39-17).
Ruffin struggled a bit early, giving up a solo homer in the first to Taylor Featherston that gave TCU a 1-0 lead.
The Horned Frogs tied the game in the sixth when Matt Vern belted a two-run homer, one of three TCU long balls.
After Vern’s shot, Ruffin retired nine of the next 12 men, striking out the last two.
Texas broke an NCAA record with seven sacrifice bunts. The previous record was held by UC-Irvine, with six against the Longhorns in a 2007 regional.
retired nine of the next 12 men, striking out the last two.
Texas broke an NCAA record with seven sacrifice bunts. The previous record was held by UC-Irvine, with six against the Longhorns in a 2007 regional.
LSU downs Rice 5-3, advances to CWS
BATON ROUGE, La. - Louis Coleman pitched eight strong innings and Derek Helenihi drove in two runs and Louisiana State beat Rice 5-3 to sweep the Baton Rouge Super Regional and clinch the Tigers’ second straight College World Series appearance and the school’s 15th overall.
It was also LSU’s 10th consecutive victory.
Coleman scattered nine hits, struck out five batters and kept Rice from scoring in the seventh and eighth innings while LSU (51-16) clung to a two-run lead.
Closer Matty Ott pitched the ninth, striking out Brock Holt with a man on for his 16th save. Maini
Ott retired the first two batters he faced before hitting pinch hitter Ryan Lewis, meaning Holt, who had three hits in the game and two home runs in the series, represented the tying run before Ott got him swinging, sparking a celebratory dogpile.
Helenihi drove in a run in the fourth inning with a single, and hit a solo homer in the sixth for the Tigers’ final run.
Ryan Berry (7-2) took the loss for Rice (43-18), which fell two victories short of a fourth straight CWS appearance. Berry gave up five earned runs in five innings but also struck out six.
