college world series Tuesday’s games

Florida 5, Louisville 1

OMAHA, NEB.

Brady Singer pitched seven strong innings and Austin Langworthy and Deacon Liput homered to lead Florida. The Gators (49-18) have won their first two CWS games for the first time in four appearances since opening 3-0 and reaching the finals in 2011. Louisville (53-11) managed one run on six hits and struck out nine times against Singer (8-5). Florida pitchers finished with 10 strikeouts, making it their fifth straight game with double-digit Ks. The left-handed-swinging Langworthy sliced a ball just inside the left field foul pole in the third and Liput hit a three-run homer to right in the fourth. Both homers came against Louisville starter Kade McClure (8-4), who otherwise was impressive in striking out nine and walking one in six innings.

TCU 4, Texas A&M 1

OMAHA, NEB.

Brian Howard matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in seven-plus innings, Omaha native Ryan Merrill homered to start a three-run third and TCU ousted Texas A&M. The Horned Frogs (48-16) avoided going 0-2 for the first time in five all-time CWS appearances. The Aggies (41-23) have gone two-games-and-out in their last three appearances and have lost eight in a row in Omaha. Howard (12-3), the Oakland Athletics’ eighth-round draft pick, flummoxed the Aggies with pinpoint location of his fastball and cutter. He struck out six of the first seven batters he faced and held the Aggies scoreless until Braden Shewmake’s RBI groundout in the sixth inning. Texas A&M starter Stephen Kolek (4-5) was knocked out in 22/3 innings, matching his shortest start of the season. Kaylor Chafin held the Frogs to three singles the rest of the way. Howard left after George Janca doubled leading off the eighth. Sean Wymer came on and retired six straight to end the game and earn his second save. Merrill graduated from Millard West High School in Omaha and passed on a chance to walk on at Nebraska, opting instead to play two years at nearby Iowa Western Community College. He went to TCU last year and became the starting shortstop, batting .300 with a .462 on-base percentage at last year’s CWS and making the all-tournament team. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted him in the 15th round, but he returned to school with the hope he could play in the CWS again. He struggled at the plate this season, but the Frogs made it back to Omaha, and he went 1 for 3 in their 3-0 loss to Florida on Sunday.

Associated Press