The first elimination game of the 2025 CWS gets underway with a bang - the first two Wildcats reach against Eberle and Adonys Guzman belts a one-out, three-run homer that empties the Arizona dugout and gives the Big 12 champs the lead. But the euphoria is short-lived, as the Cardinals respond with Jake Munroe's two-run blast in the bottom of the inning and a solo shot by Tague Davis to lead off the 2nd, and the two teams are starting over on even terms. Louisville takes its first lead in the 5th when Zion Rose hits their third homer of the game, a one-out solo job, but again this shift in momentum is fleeting. Eberle struggles to find the plate in the top of the 5th, and two walks and a hit batsman load the bases with 'Cats with two out; Mason White then takes a close 3-2 pitch for a run-scoring walk, and Guzman singles to right to score two more runs that give Arizona a 6-4 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Alex Alicea singles to lead things off, steals second, takes third on Lucas Moore's infield hit, and scores on Munroe's sacrifice fly. The Arizona lead is still a single run when both starters are gone by the end of six innings, and Louisville takes advantage of the change - Alicea doubles off of Garrett Hicks with one out, and Moore follows with a two-bagger down the RF line to tie the score at six runs apiece. In the top of the 8th, Garen Caufield singles and Andrew Cain lines a ball into the right-center field gap that rolls to the wall; Caufield rounds third and heads for home, Kamau Neighbors relays the throw from Eddie King Jr . . . and the run is cut down at the plate! With two outs and nothing doing in the bottom of the inning, Rose singles and steals second and then Garrett Pike drives a line to center that falls in for a hit that chases Rose home for a Louisville lead. Julian Tonghini comes on to strike out Alicea with runners at the corners, but the Cardinals take a one-run lead to the 9th and had the ball to Jake Schweitzer, who allowed three hits and a run in Louisville's opener on Friday. This time, the freshman is sharper; two ground balls and a strikeout are the death throes of Arizona's hopes for 2025 and Louisville lives to play another day. Louisville 7-11-0, Arizona 6-5-0. [scoresheet]
| Alex Alicea goes 3-for-4 with two steals to lead Louisville |
The Chanticleers make an early start at building on their long win streak, scoring twice in the 2nd on one-out RBI singles by Dean Mihos and Ty Dooley. The Beavers get one back in the 3rd when Wilson Weber doubles home Aiva Arquette with two away, but Coastal counters with Colby Thorndyke's solo homer in the 4th. In the bottom of the inning, ominous cracks start to appear in the Chanticleer defense (7th in the field in fielding percentage). Two walks by Jacob Morrison start the inning poorly, but he gets Canon Reeder to bounce one at 3B Willie Mitchell, who fires wildly to second looking for the force; the tying run scores, but Morrison manages to escape the second-and-third, one-out mess left behind by inducing a pair of infield popups. In the 5th, the cracks widen as Arquette leads off with a comebacker just to the left of the mound - Morrison rushes due to the OSU shortstop's speed, doesn't get his glove to the ground, and spills the ball. That brings up Gavin Turley, who smacks a two-run homer that catapults Oregon State into the lead for the first time in the game. In the 6th, Caden Bodine fumbles Easton Talt's dribbler in front of the plate and Coastal pays the price again when Arquette doubles him home with two outs. Kleinschmit pitches a 123 7th, with two strikeouts, and then turns things over to Wyatt Queen; he allows a leadoff hit to Blagen Pado to start the 7th, but Thorndyke hits into a 463 double play and Queen puts away the final four Chants to end their streak without a defeat and put Oregon State comfortably into the driver's seat in the top bracket. The Beavers prevail despite managing only four hits, as the four CCU errors (leading to three unearned runs) and five bases on balls prove the difference. Oregon State 5-4-1, Coastal Carolina 3-8-4. [scoresheet]
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| Gavin Turley's 5th-inning homer turns the tide for Oregon State |
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