UC Santa Barbara power punches ticket to super regionals

Austin Bush and Clay Fisher each had three-run homers in a nine-run fourth inning that lifted UC Santa Barbara to its first NCAA Tournament super regional with a 14-5 victory over Xavier on Monday.

The Gauchos (40-18-1) advanced to play second-seeded Louisville in the best-of-three series with the winner heading to the College World Series.

UC Santa Barbara fell behind upset-minded Xavier 2-0 in the first before taking control. Bush’s 10th homer — his third of the regional — came after a pair of Xavier fielding errors left runners on first and third. Fisher closed the Gauchos’ big inning with a home run to left, his first of the season.

Xavier (32-30), which lost to the Gauchos 5-4 Sunday, could not respond.

UC Santa Barbara starter Joe Record (6-5) worked five innings for the victory. Fisher went 6-for-10 with seven RBIs in two regional wins over Xavier.

Arizona 6, Louisiana-Lafayette 3: Ryan Aguilar and Louis Boyd each had two RBIs and Arizona beat Louisiana-Lafayette on Monday to force Game 7 at the NCAA Tournament’s Lafayette Regional. Aguilar doubled to right with the bases loaded in the first inning for a 2-0 lead with no outs.

Arizona 3, Louisiana-Lafayette 1: Kevin Ginkel and Cameron Ming combined to allow just five hits over nine innings as Arizona beat the Ragin’ Cajuns on Monday night to win the NCAA Tournament’s Lafayette Regional. Arizona (42-21) will face Mississippi State (44-16) in the super regionals. Ryan Aguilar doubled in the first inning and the throw to second base got away, allowing Zach Gibbons to score for a 1-0 Arizona lead. Five pitches later, Aguilar scored on a wild pitch. Cody Ramer’s single up the middle in the second inning scored Louis Boyd for a 3-0 lead.

North Carolina State 8, Coastal Carolina 1: Brock Deatherage homered and North Carolina State beat Coastal Carolina on Monday to force a deciding final game at the NCAA Tournament’s Raleigh Regional. Evan Mendoza drove in three runs and Preston Palmeiro and Deatherage each finished with two RBIs for the second-seeded Wolfpack (38-21), who led 8-0 in snapping the second-seeded Chanticleers’ 12-game winning streak.

Suspended- North Carolina State 5, Coastal Carolina 3 (9th inning): The deciding game of the Raleigh Regional was suspended due to heavy rain early Tuesday morning with N.C. State leading 5-3. Coastal Carolina was batting with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth. It will resume at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Texas Tech 5, Dallas Baptist 3: Orlando Garcia had two doubles and three RBIs as Texas Tech beat Dallas Baptist to win the NCAA Tournament’s Lubbock Regional. After Dallas Baptist tied it at 3-all in the sixth on Austin Listi’s two-run homer, Garcia answered with a two-run double to the gap in left center.

Rice 15, Southeastern Louisiana 0: Hunter Kopycinski went 3 for 3 with a career-high five RBIs and Rice had 16 hits in a victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Monday in the NCAA Tournament’s Baton Rouge Regional. Rice (37-23) will need to beat LSU (44-18) later Monday to force a deciding game on Tuesday.

Rice 10, Louisiana State 6: Glenn Otto struck out five batters and gave up two runs in 4 1/3 relief innings, and Rice had 13 hits in a 10-6 victory over LSU on Monday night to force a deciding game in the Baton Rouge Regional. Rice broke it open with three runs in the fifth and seven innings.