College World Series: Murray State clinches final spot in Omaha with 5-4 win over Duke
Luke Mistone's leadoff home run in the eighth inning powered Murray State to a 5-4 win over Duke in the decisive Game 3 of their Super Regional series at Durham, North Carolina. The win clinched the final spot in the eight-team Men's College World Series for the Racers.
Murray State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Jonathan Hogart leadoff homer and Dom Decker RBI single following a Carson Garner double. But Duke answered in the bottom half of the frame, cutting the deficit in half on Jake Hyde's sacrifice fly that scored Wallace Clark.
Advertisement
Hyde tied the score at 2-2 with a third-inning homer off Murray State reliever Reese Oakley with one out. The Blue Devils went on top one inning later with Jake Berger's leadoff home run.
Duke momentarily looked as if it might add to its 3-2 lead in the fourth with a deep drive to right field by AJ Gracia. However, the ball stayed in the park, caught at the wall by Dustin Mercer. Oakley also allowed another long fly ball to Clark in the sixth, but Hogart caught the ball at the warning track to keep the Racers within one run.
Two deep flies that were caught at the outfield wall and prevented Duke from taking the lead allowed an opportunity for Murray State to tie the game. Hogart did just that on a solo home run with one out in the seventh. That set up Mistone's heroics in the following inning, chasing Duke reliever Reid Easterly from the game after three innings and two home runs allowed.
Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, James Tallon couldn't shut down the Racers' lineup from there. He hit Will Vierling with a pitch and then gave Murray State a 5-3 lead by serving up a double to Dan Tauken.
Advertisement
Tallon stayed in trouble by issuing consecutive walks to Nico Bermeo and Conner Cunningham to load the bases with no outs. However, he managed to keep the Racers from scoring any more by striking out Hogart, getting Mercer to hit into a force play at home and striking out Garner to end the inning.
Duke cut its deficit to 5-4 in the eighth on a two-out home run by Macon Winslow. Murray State reliever Graham Kelham then put the tying run on base by walking Noah Murray on five pitches. However, he struck out Kyle Johnson to maintain the lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kelham flirted with danger by hitting leadoff hitter Clark with a pitch. However, he recovered by getting Gracia to foul out to left field. Ben Miller then hit a groundball to shortstop which got the out at second base. But umpires ruled Clark interfered with Decker by running into him at the bag.
Advertisement
What would have been a game-ending double play was instead overturned after review. Coming back from a premature on-field celebration, the Racers finished the win with Kelham getting Hyde to ground out to first base.
Murray State will face UCLA in its opening Men's College World Series matchup. Game 1 in Omaha is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
American Press
25 minutes ago
- American Press
Cowboys learn tourney schedule
Last November, the Cowboys used a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands to help build the camaraderie that led to a historic season. McNeese State hopes to do that again this year. The Cowboys will be the headline act at the four-team field for the 2025 Cayman Islands Classic, which runs November 23-25. 'We're thrilled to participate in such a prestigious event, set in one of the most beautiful locations in the world,' said McNeese head coach Bill Armstrong. 'Competing against three programs with strong traditions of postseason success will be a significant early test for our team. Each matchup will present unique challenges and provide a valuable gauge of our current standing. 'It's a great opportunity to learn, grow, and identify the areas we need to improve as we prepare for conference play.' McNeese is coming off a 28-7 campaign that saw the Cowboys win their second straight Southland Conference championship, marking the first time in program history. The Cowboys also won their first NCAA Tournament game ever, upsetting Clemson 69-67 in the opening round of the Midwest Regional in Providence, Rhode Island. McNeese would lose its second-round match against Big Ten powerhouse Purdue. Armstrong takes over the Cowboys following Will Wade's departure for North Carolina State last March. He was able to retain four key members from last year's team, including starters Javohn Garcia and sharpshooter DJ Richards. Garcia was the Southland Conference's Player of the Year last season. With eight or nine new players on the roster, Armstrong will use this trip to continue building the Cowboys' team unity. 'It is important that we use trips like this to come together as a team,' Armstrong said. 'It will be great for an educational experience and a chance for us to bond as a group. 'We will also get a chance to play some good teams at a time when we are still trying to figure things out. I would rather play a tournament setting because there is a prize, but getting these three games against like competition will be big for us.' McNeese will be joined by George Washington, Murray State and Middle Tennessee State in the round-robin event. 'We're excited to welcome these outstanding programs to this year's Cayman Islands Classic,' said Joe Wright, owner and chief executive officer of Caymax Sports Ltd. 'They're in for a first-class experience — both on the court and in the beautiful Cayman Islands. It's going to be a special week of competition, camaraderie, and unforgettable memories for teams and fans alike.' The Cowboys will open the tourney, which is in its seventh year, against George Washington on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 4 p.m., Lake Charles time. Middle Tennessee State and Murray State will play the night's second game. The following night, the Cowboys will play Murray State in the late game, roughly 6:30 p.m., with Middle Tennessee and GW in the opener. McNeese will open the final night with a 4 p.m. game against Middle Tennessee in John Gray Gymnasium in George Town, Grand Cayman. Middle Tennessee State went 22–12 in 2024-25, advancing to the National Invitation Tournament under head coach Nick McDevitt. Chris Caputo returns for his third year as head coach at George Washington, which plays in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Ryan Miller enters his first year as head coach at the Missouri Valley Conference's Murray State, looking to improve on the team's 16–17 record from last year. The Cowboys are still looking to fill the final two games of their schedule in hopes of finding a pair of Power 4 opponents. Tournament Schedule (all times central) Sunday, Nov. 23 McNeese vs. George Washington, 4 p.m. Middle Tennessee vs. Murray State, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24 Middle Tennessee vs. George Washington, 4 p.m. McNeese vs. Murray State, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25 Murray State vs. George Washington, 4 p.m. McNeese vs. Middle Tennessee, 6:30 p.m.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Despite no Caitlin Clark, Fever-Sky broadcast drew nearly 2 millions viewers
When the WNBA national schedule was announced last March, one of the most potentially significant games from a viewership perspective was the June 7 game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky on CBS. The meeting was the league's first-ever regular-season primetime game on national television — and it was no coincidence that CBS and the WNBA worked together to feature a game involving Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Games airing on network television entities such as CBS or ABC bring more eyeballs, given network reach over cable, and reach is very important for the growth of any pro sports league. The game was one of eight regular-season games the CBS television network was scheduled to air during the 2025 WNBA season. Advertisement Of course by the time the game rolled around, Clark had been sidelined with a quad injury — a bummer for the audience. The game itself was also not close: The Fever dismantled the Sky 79-52 at the United Center despite missing Clark and head coach Stephanie White. How did the game do viewership-wise? CBS said on Tuesday it had averaged 1.924 million viewers, making it the third most-watched WNBA game on any network this season. Sports Media Watch noted it was the eighth-largest WNBA regular-season audience since 2001, and the 10th-largest including the playoffs. Of those games, it was the second-most watched that did not include Clark, behind Game 5 of last year's WNBA Finals. The most-watched game this season was also contested by these two teams: The Fever's 93-58 win over the Sky on May 17 drew 2.7 million viewers on ABC. That set a record for the most-viewed WNBA regular-season game across ESPN networks and is believed to be the most-viewed WNBA regular-season game in 25 years, since the era when NBC aired the WNBA. The Fever-Liberty on CBS drew 2.22 million viewers and is the second most-watched game of the 2025 season. These data points give you an immediate sense of Clark's popularity (newsflash: it's massive). It also is a nice story for the league in that they drew nearly 2 million viewers in a game Clark did not play. Last June, the Fever and Sky drew 2.25 million viewers for a CBS game, which at the time marked the WNBA's most-watched game in 23 years. Advertisement Big picture: The numbers continue the trend from last year when the WNBA had 22 regular-season games that averaged more than one million viewers — the first time since 2008 that a WNBA game topped one million viewers. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, WNBA, Sports Business 2025 The Athletic Media Company
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Bill Plaschke reveals Parkinson's disease diagnosis: 'It hurts to even say it.'
Bill Plaschke reveals Parkinson's disease diagnosis: 'It hurts to even say it.' Show Caption Hide Caption Kon Knueppel on the drive of former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg Kon Knueppel chats with Bryan Kalbrosky ahead of the NBA Draft about his former teammate Cooper Flagg and what makes him special Sports Seriously Bill Plaschke, the award-winning Los Angeles Times columnist and longtime "Around the Horn" panelist on ESPN, revealed this week that he has Parkinson's disease. He made the announcement as part of an LA Times column about a boxing program he attends for those trying to slow the effects of the condition. "I've got Parkinson's, and it hurts to even say it," Plaschke wrote. "I'm still mobile, still active, I don't have the trademark tremors that distinguish the famously afflicted Michael J. Fox or the late Muhammed Ali but, damn it, I've got it." Plaschke, 66, noted that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's four years ago after feeling weakness in his right arm, but had only told his family until now. The neurodegenerative disease has no cure and progressively impacts how a person moves and speaks. OPINION: Don't forget harsh price NFL players pay Plaschke wrote that it's a struggle for him to get dressed and "my pills come in gallon jugs and I spend entire Dodger games trying to discreetly swallow them in the press box." "I don't smile as much now," he added. "It's harder to smile when afflicted with the trademark Parkinson's masked face. When I FaceTime with my darlin Daisy, I worry she won't see past my dour expression and never know how much her granddaddy loves her." Plaschke has written for the Los Angeles Times since 1988 and became a sports columnist there in 1996. He has been named the national sports columnist of the year by the Associated Press Sports Editors nine times and is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame and California Sports Hall of Fame. He was also one of the original panelists on "Around the Horn," beginning in 2002, and remained a regular contributor to the show until its 23-year run ended last month. Plaschke sounded a hopeful note at the end of his column, citing the inspiration provided by Kaizen Kinetics and everyone else dealing with Parkinson's disease through its boxing program. "I have Parkinson's," Plaschke wrote, "But, by God, it doesn't have me."
