NCAA Baseball Tournament: Coastal Carolina 1st team to advance to College World Series with 4-1 win over Auburn
Coastal Carolina is the first team to qualify for the 2025 College World Series after defeating Auburn, 4-1, on Saturday. The Chanticleers swept the Tigers in their home regional to advance.
Auburn held a 1-0 lead until the seventh inning when Coastal Carolina broke through for three runs. Sebastian Alexander hit a leadoff double and was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Blake Barthol. Walker Mitchell followed up with an RBI single to tie the score at 1-1.
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Tigers pitcher Cade Fisher got Colby Thorndyke to fly out, but the next four Chanticleers batters reached base, resulting in two runs scoring. Blagen Pado singled, Ty Dooley reached on an error by Auburn first baseman Connor McMurray, Ty Borrango drew a walk and Wells Sykes was hit by a pitch.
Coastal Carolina boosted its lead to 4-1 in the eighth inning on a RBI single by Mitchell, driving in Alexander, who led off the frame with a double.
Hayden Johnson closed out the win for the Chanticleers, getting three consecutive outs after allowing a leadoff double to Eric Guevara in the top of the ninth. The sophomore left-hander pitched three scoreless innings, giving up two hits with five strikeouts. Jacob Morrison started for Coastal Carolina, throwing six innings and allowing one run with six hits and three walks.
Alexander and Mitchell both got three hits for Coastal Carolina, which improved its record to 52-11.
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For Auburn, Fisher took the loss after allowing one earned run and five hits with four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Andreas Alvarez got the start, pitching four scoreless innings with four hits and two walks. Parker Carlson allowed the other run for the Tigers in one-third of an inning.
Chase Fralick drove in the lone run for Auburn, which finishes the season at 41-19.
Coastal Carolina advances to the College World Series after following up a 7-6 win in 10 innings on Friday night with Saturday's victory. The Chanticleers will go to Omaha for the first time since 2016 when they won the national championship.
With wins in their best-of-3 series on Sunday, Arkansas, North Carolina, Arizona, LSU, Louisville, Miami, Duke, Oregon State and Florida State can clinch trips to the College World Series as well.
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