COLLEGE WORLD SERIES Friday’s games

Michagan makes CWS final, tops Texas Tech

Omaha, Neb.

Michigan scored in all but one inning against a struggling Texas Tech pitching staff and beat the Red Raiders 15-3 on Friday to continue its improbable postseason run.

Next stop: College World Series finals.

Jimmy Kerr homered twice and had four hits, Jesse Franklin had three hits and four RBIs and the Wolverines scored double-digit runs for the 20th time this season.

One of the last four teams to receive an at-large bid to the 64-team tournament, the Wolverines (49-20) reached the CWS for the first time since 1984 and will play for their first national championship since 1962.

They’ll play a best-of-three series against Vanderbilt starting Monday.

No Big Ten team has won the title since Ohio State in 1966.

Michigan starter Karl Kauffman (12-6) beat the No. 8 national seed Red Raiders (46-20) for the second time in a week. Kauffman, who pitched seven innings last Saturday in a 5-3 victory, worked out of trouble in three innings and left after the sixth.

Tech’s Micah Dallas (7-2), who took his first loss of the season after a rough three-inning outing against the Wolverines last week, was knocked out in the second after the first three batters reached. John McMillon was the first of six Tech relievers, and five of them gave up at least one run.

DeMarco sends Vandy past Cardinals in 9th

Omaha, Neb.

Pat DeMarco chopped a grounder over third base in the ninth inning to give Vanderbilt its first lead and the Commodores beat Louisville 3-2 on Friday night to advance to the College World Series finals.

The Commodores (57-11) last played in the finals in 2015.

Vandy’s potent offense had been all but stymied for 81/3 innings by Luke Smith. Louisville coach Dan McDonnell had closer Michael McAvene ready to go in the bullpen but left in Smith (6-1) after he walked JJ Bleday with one out. Ethan Paul ripped a double into the right-field corner to score Bleday and tie it at 2l.

McAvene came on, and Philip Clarke’s bloop single behind second base put runners on the corners with one out. DeMarco then hit a bouncer that went over third baseman Alex Binelas and landed just inside the line, bringing Paul in for the lead.

Louisville (51-18) had a chance against star closer Tyler Brown in the bottom half. Drew Campbell’s one-out grounder down the line bounced off the bag at first and put him into scoring position.

That’s as far as he got. Justin Lavey struck out, and second baseman Harrison Ray made a diving catch of Henry Davis’ short infield pop to end the game. Brown earned his 17th save.

Smith struck out a career-high 10, the most in Louisville’s 14 games over five CWS appearances, and the only run scored against him before the ninth came on a double-play grounder.

Vandy starter Mason Hickman limited Louisville to two hits in six shutout innings.

Vanderbilt beat Louisville in three meetings this season, including 3-1 last Sunday in the CWS.

Associated Press