Florida, Vanderbilt win CWS openers

Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb.

Brian Johnson and Bryson Smith drove in two runs apiece, Hudson Randall turned in another strong start and Florida defeated Texas 8-4 at the College World Series on Saturday night.

Johnson’s two-out double in the seventh broke open a close game. Smith’s second RBI single the next inning gave reliever Nick Maronde a four-run cushion going into the ninth.

Randall (11-3) scattered five hits over 62/3 innings, walked none and struck out five. Only one of the four runs against him was earned. He retired 13 straight from the third to seventh innings.

Taylor Jungmann (13-3) had a third straight rough outing for the Longhorns. He went 41/3 innings for his shortest start of the season.

Florida (51-17) moves to a Bracket 1 winners’ game against Vanderbilt on Monday night. Texas (49-18) meets North Carolina in an elimination game in the afternoon.

Vanderbilt 7, N. Carolina 3

Connor Harrell hit the first College World Series home run in the new TD Ameritrade Park to break a sixth-inning tie and first-time qualifier Vanderbilt defeated North Carolina.

Harrell’s two-run homer off Patrick Johnson over the left-field bullpen followed Conrad Gregor’s tying double off the top of the wall. The Commodores added two runs in the eighth.

Corey Williams (2-0) worked 22/3 innings of scoreless relief for Vanderbilt starter Sonny Gray.

Johnson (13-2), who had allowed three earned runs in his previous 45 innings, was tagged for four earned runs and five total in six innings.

The Tar Heels left 16 runners on base and were held scoreless after the fourth inning.

Williams came on in the fifth to get Vandy out of a tough spot after Gray, a first-round draft pick, walked the bases loaded.