NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jack Leiter had 10 strikeouts in seven innings on Saturday as Vanderbilt advanced to the College World Series with a 4-1 win over East Carolina in Game 2 of the Nashville Super Regional.
Leiter (10-3) allowed two hits, one of them a home run to Josh Moylan in the seventh. It was the only run the Commodores (45-15) allowed during the series. Vanderbilt beat ECU 2-0 in Friday's opener.
Vandy will make its fifth trip to Omaha, all coming since 2011, and will defend the title it won in 2019.
"This is why you come to Vanderbilt, for moments like this," said Leiter, son of retired longtime major-league pitcher Al Leiter. "The season would have felt incomplete if we hadn't made it this far."
East Carolina starter Carson Whisenhunt (6-2) left the game while it was scoreless in the fifth inning, but he walked Javier Vaz and Jayson Gonzalez, who scored on Carter Young's single off reliever Matt Bridges.
Enrique Bradfield Jr. added a one-run double for Vandy in the ninth, and Dominic Keegan's bases-loaded walk made it 4-1.
The Pirates (44-17) dropped to 1-12 all-time in super regional games.
STANFORD 9,
TEXAS TECH 0
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Brock Jones hit three home runs, Alex Williams pitched a complete game shutout, and Stanford advanced to the CWS with a victory over Texas Tech in Game 2 of the Lubbock Super Regional.
Jones went 3 for 5 and scored 4 runs. His solo home run in the first, grand slam in the sixth and solo shot in the eighth accounted for all six of his RBI.
"I think we're going to shock the world again," Jones said. "We're not satisfied. We didn't get here just to get to a super and just to get to Omaha. We're trying to go for the whole thing."
Williams (4-2) allowed 2 hits, walked 1, hit 1 batter and tied a career high with 10 strikeouts. It was his second complete game win in a postseason start. He went the distance in Stanford's 12-3 win over Sacramento State to avoid elimination in the 2019 regional round.
The Cardinal (38-15) outscored Texas Tech 24-3 in the two-game series and will make their 17th trip to Omaha. It's their first since 2008 after losses in the super regional round in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019.
Starter Patrick Monteverde (7-4) went 3 2/3 innings and struck out seven for the Red Raiders (39-17).
MISSISSIPPI STATE 9,
NOTRE DAME 8
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Logan Tanner hit a home run in the bottom of the seventh and Mississippi State rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Notre Dame 9-8 in Game 1 of the Starkville Super Regional.
Tanner gave the Bulldogs (44-15) a 9-8 lead, and Landon Sims struck out 3 in 2 perfect innings for his 10th save of the season. Preston Johnson (3-0) got the win after a giving up one run in 2 2/3 innings.
Mississippi State is a win away from its 12th trip to the College World Series.
Tanner Kohlhepp (7-2) got the loss, giving up 4 runs, 3 earned, in 4 innings for the Fighting Irish (33-12).
Rowdey Jordan went 3 for 5 with a home run, a double and 2 RBI for the Bulldogs. Tanner Allen hit a home run in the first.
Zack Prajzner had a three-run home run in the fifth inning that gave Notre Dame a 7-3 lead.
DALLAS BAPTIST 6,
VIRGINIA 5
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Andrew Benefield homered in the seventh inning and Dallas Baptist rallied for a victory over Virginia in Game 1 of the Columbia Super Regional that was delayed almost four hours because of weather.
It was the Patriots' first win in a super regional game and puts them one win away from their first appearance in the CWS.
Dallas Baptist (41-16) erased a 5-2 deficit in the fifth and sixth innings, and Benefield's home run in the seventh made it 6-5. Ray Gaither (3-2) struck out four in the sixth and seventh innings to pick up the win for Dallas Baptist.
Peyton Sherlin took the mound in the top of the ninth after striking out two in a scoreless eighth, but lightning was detected in the area. DBU's Zane Russell took the mound in Sherlin's place when play resumed and retired three consecutive batters after giving up a leadoff walk to record his second save of the season.
Zach Messinger (3-2) gave up two runs in two innings and got the loss for the Cavaliers (33-25). Alex Tappen and Jake Gelof homered and Devin Ortiz had a three-run double in Virginia's five-run fifth.
