GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Ivan Melendez hit a three-run home run, Skyler Messinger went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Texas beat ECU 11-1 Sunday to win the best-of-three Greenville Super Regional and advance to the College World Series.
Texas (47-20) clinched the program’s 38th trip to Omaha, Nebraska, seeking its seventh national title and its first since 2005.
Tristan Stevens (7-6) scattered five hits and three walks over six one-run innings with five strikeouts. Travis Sthele and Jared Southard combined to allow just two baserunners — a pair of walks by Sthele — and struck out two over three innings of no-hit relief.
First pitch was delayed by nearly an hour due to lightning in the area and a second weather delay in the middle of the first stalled the game for almost 5 hours.
Douglas Hodo III led off the game with a single and then stole second and Eric Kennedy drew an eight-pitch walk before Melendez hit his 32nd home run of the season to give Texas a 3-0 lead and Murphy Stehly hit a two-run double in the Longhorn’s five-run second to make it 9-1.
The Pirates’ 13-7 victory in the opener Friday gave them 22 win in their previous 23 games but back-to-back losses to Texas ended ECU’s season and dashed any hope of the first College World Series appearance in program history.
ECU had a five-run lead in the middle of the seventh inning Saturday before the Longhorns scored seven runs in the final three innings to stave off elimination and force Game 3.
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