Louisville 1st to clinch CWS bid; FSU’s Martin 1 win away

Louisville became the first team to clinch a spot in the College World Series, and Florida State coach Mike Martin moved a win closer to getting back to Omaha one more time before he retires.

The Cardinals’ Bobby Miller carried a no-hitter through eight innings in a 12-0 win that wrapped up a two-game sweep of East Carolina in a super regional on Saturday. He gave up a hit in the ninth before Michael Kirian finished to preserve the shutout for No. 5 national seed and host Louisville (49-16), which reached the CWS for the fourth time since 2013 and fifth overall.

“I don’t know if it gets more complete than that,” said Louisville coach Dan McDonnell, whose team outscored the Pirates 26-1 in the two games. “Two quality starts, with double-digit runs and a big lead. Fortunately, we jumped on them early.”

In super regional openers, Florida State, Arkansas and Auburn posted wins and can clinch CWS bids Sunday.

FSU, trying to return Martin to the CWS for a 17th time and give the all-time NCAA coaching wins leader one last shot at his first national title, overcame a four-run deficit for the first time this season to beat host LSU 6-4. The Seminoles (40-21) also continued Martin’s streak of winning at least 40 games each of his 40 years at the helm.

Reese Albert hit two homers, the first a three-run shot that tied it 4-all in the seventh. The second made it a two-run game in the ninth, and JC Flowers worked a stressful ninth to put away the Tigers (40-25).

Jack Kenley’s three-run homer in the first inning ignited 2018 national runner-up Arkansas in an 11-2 win over Mississippi. The host Razorbacks (45-17) got a career-high 8 1/3 innings from Seattle Mariners second-round draft pick Isaiah Campbell.

Auburn (37-25), down three runs after seven innings, scored nine runs in the last two to beat host North Carolina 11-7. Rankin Woley drove in three runs in the Tigers’ five-run eighth, and Edouard Julien hit a three-run homer in the ninth to pull away from the Tar Heels (45-18).

PERTURBED PIRATE

East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin said his team deserved better treatment from the NCAA in scheduling and seeding. The Pirates (47-18) of the American Athletic Conference required five games to win their weather-plagued regional and had to play doubleheaders last Sunday and Monday. They got three days off before opening the super regional.

“I felt like when you push two games together, our guys just ran out of gas having to play five games in 48 hours,” he said. “And you’d think for student-athlete welfare — the NCAA is so concerned about that — we wouldn’t have to play the first game on Friday. I guess that’s the way it is when you’re a non-Power 5 school.”

Godwin also said the Pirates’ resume merited them being a top-eight national seed, which would have allowed them to play super regionals at home.

“I’m not being a sore loser,” he said, “but I’m protecting my guys and my guys deserve that. I was going to say this whether we won the super regional or lost it.”

WILL BE DONE

Mississippi’s Will Ethridge had a string of 24 2/3 innings without issuing a walk end in the first inning against Arkansas. He lasted 3 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs, six earned — the first time in four starts he had given up more than two runs.

BIG BATS

— Drew Campbell was 3 for 5 with a double and triple, and Justin Lavey was 3 for 3 with two doubles and three RBIs for Louisville.

— Since regionals, FSU’s Albert is batting .421 (8 of 19) with three homers and nine RBIs.

— Arkansas’ Trevor Ezell went 3 for 5 with a home run and two doubles.

— North Carolina’s Aaron Sabato went 3 for 5 with two doubles.

MOUND MARVELS

— Arkansas’ Isaiah Campbell pitched a career-high 8 1/3 innings with two runs allowed on five hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.

— LSU’s Todd Peterson pitched 4 1/3 innings of no-hit relief after starter Cole Henry lasted two innings.

— North Carolina starter Tyler Baum allowed two runs and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings.

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