As April winds down, the college baseball season is heating up. Here's what you need to know after four top-10 teams drop crucial in-conference series on Sunday:
No. 13 Oregon sweeps No. 3 Oregon State
No. 3 Oregon State (32-10) came into the weekend as the hottest team in college baseball, boasting a 12-game winning streak. But they left the weekend with some serious questions after being swept by No. 13 Oregon (30-12).
饾悂饾悩饾悇 饾悂饾悩饾悇 extends the Ducks lead with a solo shot to left.
鈥 Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball)
The Ducks took Game 1 by a slim margin, winning 4-2 on Friday night, but they broke it open on Saturday, putting up four homers in a 13-1 victory. The Ducks went on to complete the sweep in a 3-2 Sunday matinee win. The Beavers opened the scoring in the 2nd inning on a bases-loaded walk, but Oregon then scored three unanswered runs, headlined by two solo homers from Jacob Walsh and Maddox Molony. A late homer from Oregon State鈥檚 Aiva Arquette made it a one-run game in the eighth, but the Beavers couldn鈥檛 find any more offense and left Eugene with their first three-game losing streak of the season.
No. 19 Louisville stomps No. 4 Florida State
No. 4 Florida State (31-9, 12-6 ACC) made the long trip up to Kentucky for the weekend, opening the series with a 10-2 on Friday night. But that鈥檚 where the fun ended for the Seminoles as they dropped Games 2 and 3 by big margins. The Cardinals took game two 9-4, then sent FSU packing with a 14-2 win Sunday afternoon.
. walking us off in grand fashion.
鈥 Louisville Baseball (@LouisvilleBSB)
Four homers powered the Cardinals to the win, with the big swings coming from Lucas Moore (2), Zion Rose and Eddie King Jr. Moore's second homer was a walkoff grand slam to end the game by a run rule in the seventh. TJ Schlageter got the win for Louisville as the Cardinals improve to 30-13 overall and 12-9 in ACC play.
Florida rallies past No. 5 Arkansas to win series finale, 9-5
Florida came out on top in Sunday鈥檚 rubber match against No. 5 Arkansas, taking the final game of the weekend series 9-5 after trading wins in the first two contests. The Gators opened the series with a 6-4 win, but were shut out 7-0 in Game 2 before bouncing back decisively.
In Game 3, the Gators struck first in the bottom of the first inning. After Luke Heyman reached on a fielder鈥檚 choice, he came around to score when Blake Cyr doubled down the left field line to give Florida an early 1-0 lead.
Arkansas answered immediately in the top of the second. Gabe Fraser walked to lead things off and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Justin Thomas Jr. A wild pitch brought home Ryder Helfrick and Kendall Diggs. The Razorbacks kept the pressure on as Wehiwa Aloy and Thomas Jr. crossed home plate, giving Arkansas a 5-1 lead. But that would be the last time they鈥檇 put runs on the board.
Florida began chipping away in the bottom of the second when Landon Stripling scored to make it 5-2. The Gators were quiet in the third, but got within one in the bottom of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Brody Donay doubled to right-center, advancing Cry to third 鈥 he scored on a misplay in center, tying the game. From there, Florida never looked back as the Gators poured in four more runs in the next three innings to seal to 9-5 series-clinching win.
IT'S A, TYME BOMB 鈴诧笍馃挘 // SEC Network+
鈥 Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB)
No. 7 LSU dominates No. 6 Tennessee
No. 7 LSU (36-9, 14-7 SEC) came into the weekend looking to right the ship after an embarrassing midweek 13-3 loss to Northwestern State, but they had a tough task ahead of them in No. 6 Tennessee (35-9, 13-8 SEC). The Tigers took Game 1 6-3, but the Vols evened the series Saturday with a 9-3 win.
That ball was torched 馃敟 | SECN
鈥 LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball)
Sunday would decide this top 10 series between two SEC powerhouses. Tennessee came out hot with four hits and two runs in the top of the first inning. But that would do it for the Vols鈥 offense, as they only had three more hits for the rest of the game. The Tigers scored 13 unanswered runs, including three home runs from Derek Curiel, Jake Brown and Michael Braswell III. Curiel finished the day 4-4 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI.
