Florida State’s strong pitching and timely hitting silenced Oregon State for a 3-1 victory Saturday to force a winner-take-all game today in the Corvallis (Ore.) Super Regional.
Florida State, which came within one strike of claiming the opener Friday before losing 5-4 in 10 innings, will face Oregon State at 3 p.m., with the winner going to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series.
Junior left-hander Jamie Arnold, who is ranked as the fourth-best draft prospect by MLB.com, pitched 62⁄3 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and a walk, with nine strikeouts.
Oregon State sophomore lefty Ethan Kleinschmit, nearly matched him, going six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits, while walking three and striking out 11.
Seminoles right-handed reliever Peyton Prescott, who hit 100 mph with his fastball but baffled the Beavers with his slider, finished the game with two sparkling innings, striking out four, including the side in the ninth.
Florida State also got timely at-bats with two-out run-scoring singles in the third and seventh and added a two-out bases- loaded walk in the eighth.
Saint Louis alum Aiva Arquette, MLB.com’s No. 6 prospect, gave the Beavers a 1-0 lead in the first. He singled, stole second and scored on Wilson Weber’s single.
After that, no Oregon State batter reached third base.
In another game involving Hawaii players, Arkansas held on to defeat Tennessee 4-3 in the opener of the Fayetteville (Ark.) Super Regional.
Starting shortstop Wehiwa Aloy went 0-for-4, while younger brother Kuhio, a designated hitter, went 1-for-4. Both are Baldwin graduates.
The Razorbacks face the Volunteers again today, with a win sending them to the CWS. A loss would force a winner-take-all in the best-of-three series on Monday.
Ryder Helfrick’s two-run homer in bottom of fifth inning erased a 2-1 deficit for the Razorbacks, and Charles Davalan singled in what proved to be the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth that made it 4-2.
Gabe Gaeckle pitched two innings, giving up a homer in the ninth, to save it for Zach Root, who pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, allowing just one earned run while fanning six.
