College World Series : Longhorns Win in 10th, Could Claim Title Today

Billy Bates led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a triple and scored on Doug Hodo’s third single of the game to give Texas an 8-7 victory over Arkansas in the NCAA College World Series Saturday night at Omaha.

The victory sent the Longhorns (64-12) into today’s championship game with Miami, a 6-5 winner over Mississippi State. Should Miami (62-16) win today, a second championship game in the double-elimination tournament would be held Monday

Arkansas staked starter Howard Hilton to a 7-0 lead through the first six innings. Dave Patterson singled home one run and scored on Mike Loggins’ two-run homer in the third.

Loggins and Jeff King singled with one down in the fifth. Loggins scored on Norm Roberts’ sacrifice fly and King came home on a throwing error--Texas’ third error of the game. Ralph Kraus doubled home another run in the sixth.

Bates spoiled the Razorbacks’ shutout bid in the sixth when he singled, moved up on a walk, a fly out and scored on Hodo’s ground out.

Texas scored five runs in the seventh when David Wrzesinski led off with a misjudged double and scored on an RBI single by Coby Kerlin.

Bates walked to chase Hilton, and Dennis Cook walked off reliever Pat Rice to load the bases. Arkansas relief ace Tim Deitz came on to walk David Denny for one run. Hodo’s infield single scored another. Cook scored on an infield error, and Denny came home on a ground out by Rusty Richards.

Denny opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk and moved up on Hodo’s single and a sacrifice by Dodd Johnson. He scored on a Richards’ ground out to tie the game. Deitz then struck out pinch-hitter Bobby Behnsch and worked out of trouble with Kerlin’s ground out.

Cook (5-1) shut the door on Arkansas in five innings of relief, while Deitz, now 5-2 for the 51-15 Razorbacks, took the loss.

Arkansas won four of five regular-season encounters with Texas and was the only team to beat Texas in the Longhorns’ last 30 games.