FAYETTEVILLE — The NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional is going to a decisive third game.
No. 17 North Carolina State held on for a 6-5 victory over top-ranked Arkansas on Saturday at Baum-Walker Stadium to even the best-of-three-game series at one game apiece.
The teams are scheduled to play Sunday at 5 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the College World Series.
The Wolfpack (34-18) hit three home runs against Arkansas reliever Ryan Costeiu over four at bats in the fourth inning to take a 5-2 lead. Jose Torres’ two-run homer put NC State ahead 3-2, and Luca Tresh and Vojtech Mensik added solo homers against Costeiu.
Arkansas scored three runs in the seventh inning to pull within 6-5, but left the tying run at third base when Christian Franklin struck out against NC State closer Evan Justice with runners on the corners. Justice retired the Razorbacks’ final seven batters in a non-save situation.
Freshman right hander Sam Highfill (8-2) pitched 6 1/3 innings to lead NC State. Highfill gave up a two-run home run to Charlie Welch in the second inning, then retired 16 in a row before Brady Slavens’ one-out solo homer in the seventh pulled Arkansas within 6-3.
The home runs were the Razorbacks’ only hits against Highfill, who walked 2, allowed 4 runs and struck out 5.
Justice relieved Highfill after he walked Welch in five pitches following the Slavens home run. Cullen Smith singled to advance Welch to third base, and Welch scored on a throwing error by Torres, the NC State shortstop. The Razorbacks added a run against Justice on Jalen Battles’ two-out single to score Smith.
Franklin, who entered the game in the fifth inning after missing his second consecutive start due to strep throat, took Justice to a 2-2 count, but struck out swinging to end Arkansas’ final scoring chance. Cayden Wallace and Slavens struck out against Justice in the eighth, and Smith struck out swinging at a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
Justice struck out four in 2 2/3 innings.
Arkansas (50-12) got a short start from Lael Lockhart, who was lifted in the third inning following a pair of infield hits. Costeiu inherited runners at second and third base, but limited the damage to one run on Tyler McDonough’s RBI groundout that pulled the Wolfpack within 2-1.
Costeiu (8-3) recorded just one out in the following inning. Terrance Tatum began the inning with a single before Torres, Tresh and Mensik all homered on two-strike pitches.
NC State added a pivotal run against Connor Noland in the sixth inning to go ahead 6-2. J.T. Jarrett’s RBI groundout scored Tresh.
Arkansas’ rally in the seventh prompted the Razorbacks to turn to ace reliever Kevin Kopps in the bottom of the inning. Kopps retired all six hitters he faced in 21 pitches, setting him up well for another outing Sunday.
Justice threw 48 pitches.
Arkansas is 7-0 this season in games that determine the winner of a three-game set, including a 6-2 victory over Nebraska in the finale of the Fayetteville Regional.
NC State was 1-2 in games that determined a series winner in the regular season. The Wolfpack defeated Wake Forest, and lost to Miami and Notre Dame.
EARLIER
NC State 6 Arkansas 5 - FINAL
Welch is first pitch swinging and be flies out to right field.
Moore grounds out to third and it's up to Smith.
Smith strikes out swinging on what would have been ball four to end the game.
Justice retired the final seven batters he faced.
NC State 6 Arkansas 5 - End 8th
Kopps sets down NC State in order and the Hogs have three outs to get one run.
Kopps got a flyout to center, a groundout to first and a strikeout looking in the inning.
NC State 6 Arkansas 5 - Middle 8th
Goodheart starts off the inning by grounding out to the first baseman.
Wallace strikes out swinging.
Slavens strikes out looking to end the inning.
NC State 6 Arkansas 5 - End 7th
Kevin Kopps coming into the game for Arkansas as they trail by one.
Noland - 1.0IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 0K, 13 pitches.
McDonough hits a high fly ball down the right field line. Goodheart makes the catch on the run for the first out.
Butler swings through an 0-2 cutter for the second out.
Tatum hits a chopper to Kopps who jumps, fields it and throws to first for the third out.
NC State 6 Arkansas 5 - Middle 7th
Wallace pops up to short on the first pitch of the inning.
Highfill had retired 16 straight batters before Slavens takes him deep to left-center field to inch the Hogs closer. Two home runs are the only hits for the Hogs today.
Welch walks, and the crowd has come to life at Baum-Walker.
The Wolfpack will go to the bullpen and bring in Evan Justice.
Highfill - 6.1IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 5K, 96 pitches.
Moore pops up on the infield for the second out.
Smith takes a 2-2 pitch and grounds it up the middle for a single. The ground ball hit off the second base bag and ricocheted into the outfield. That allowed Welch to move to third. Runners on the corners for Opitz.
Opitz hits a ground ball to the shortstop. He field and his throw is offline. The first baseman came off the bag and Opitz is safe. Welch scores and Hogs have cut the lead to two.
Battles singles up the middle. Smith comes home and there are runners on the corners for Christian Franklin.
Franklin strikes out on a 2-2 fastball to end the inning.
NC State 6 Arkansas 2 - End 6th
Franklin goes to center and Connor Noland comes in to pitch.
Monke - 1.2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K, 28 pitches.
Noland has allowed a single and a walk to start the inning. Mansik sacrifices himself to move the runners to second and third.
Arkansas brings the infield in, and a short hop grounder is hit to Battles. He elects to go to first and get the out. Tresh scores to extend NC State's lead. The play at home would have been close, but Battles was charging and would have had to make a good throw to get the runner.
The next batter hits a chopper to Noland who field and tosses him out at first to end the inning.
NC State 5 Arkansas 2 - Middle 6th
Battles goes down swinging for the first out. Highfill will drop to a sidearm delivery for a few pitches and Arkansas hasn't really figured that out yet.
Christian Franklin is coming in to pinch hit for Braydon Webb.
Franklin strikes out swinging on a full count. It would have been ball four. Franklin did have the longest at-bat of the game against Highfill and force his pitch count up to 82 pitches.
Goodheart grounds out to the shortstop on the second base side of the bag to end the inning.
NC State 5 Arkansas 2 - End 5th
McDonough grounds out to Monke to start the inning.
Butler singled through the left side, but Monke bounces back and gets a strikeout of Tatum. Butler advanced to second via a steal on the strikeout.
Torres pops up to right-center field. Goodheart makes the catch on the run to end the inning.
NC State 5 Arkansas 2 - Middle 5th
For the fourth time today Arkansas goes in order. The Hogs have just one hit, the Welch home run.
Moore grounds out to second, Smith flied out to center and Opitz struck out looking.
Opitz said a few things to the home plate umpire as he walked back to the dugout.
NC State 5 Arkansas 2 - End 4th
Tatum singles through the right side and Torres takes Costeiu deep to left field on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. He fouled of five pitches and finally got one he could handle.
Tresh follows the home run with one of his own. This one goes over the left-center field fence and NC State has doubled up the Hogs 4-2.
Brown grounds out to third and Mensik hits a home run, the third of the inning, and the Wolfpack lead 5-2.
Costeiu is done and Caden Monke is coming in for the Hogs.
Costeiu - 1.0IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 1K, 29 pitches
Monke comes in and gets two strikeouts to end the inning.
Arkansas 2 NC State 1 - Middle 4th
Wallace hits a slow roller on the right side, but the second baseman fields, throws and retires Wallace by a step.
Slavens pops out to right-center field for the second out.
Welch pops up to center to end the inning.
Arkansas 2 NC State 1 - End 3rd
Vojtech Mensik led off the inning with a terrific at-bat, making Lael Lockhart throw seven pitches before he tallied an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop. J.T. Jarrett then laid down a perfect bunt to the right side that resulted in no one covering first base on the play.
Austin Murr put down a sac bunt the next at-bat, moving two Wolfpack players into scoring position. That is all for Lockhart, who went 2 1/3 innings, allowed 2 hits and struck out 2. Ryan Costeiu is on in relief with one away.
Tyler McDonough grounds out to Robert Moore at second base, scoring NC State's first run of the day. Costeiu then struck out Jonny Butler looking on a nasty breaking pitch to end the inning.
Arkansas will send Cayden Wallace, Brady Slavens and Charlie Welch to the plate in the top of the fourth.
Arkansas 2 NC State 0 - Middle 3rd
Highfill retires Arkansas in order in the third.
Battles lines out to left field, Webb grounds out to third, and Goodheart strikes out looking.
Arkansas 2 NC State 0 - End 2nd
Tatum walks to lead off the third. Torres follows the walk with a pop up foul right in front of the Wolfpack dugout on the first base side. Slavens catches the pop up for the first out.
Tresh strikes out on a high fastball, Torres was running on the pitch and he slides in safely just before the tag. Runner on second with two out for NC State.
Lockhart gets Brown to swing and miss for the strikeout to end the inning.
Arkansas 2 NC State 0 - Middle 2nd
Slavens leads things off in the second with a full count walk.
Charlie Welch stays hot with a two-run homerun over the Arkansas bullpen in left field to give the Hogs the early lead.
Moore flies out to left and Smith lines out to right to give the Wolfpack two away.
Opitz grounds out to the shortstop, who was playing on the second base side of the bag to end the inning.
Welch's OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) is 1.383.
Arkansas 0 NC State 0 - End 1st
Lockhart works a 7 pitch 1-2-3 inning. He gets a flyout to left, a flyout to right and a groundout to Moore at second to end the first.
Arkansas 0 NC State 0 - Middle 1st
Highfill sets the Hogs down in order in the first. Webb flies out to short right field, Goodheart grounds into the shift and Wallace strikes out swinging.
Lineups
Arkansas
CF Braydon Webb
RF Matt Goodheart
LF Cayden Wallace
1B Brady Slavens
DH Charlie Welch
2B Robert Moore
3B Cullen Smith
C Casey Opitz
SS Jalen Battles
P Lael Lockhart
NC State
1B Austin Murr
CF Tyler McDonough
LF Jonny Butler
DH Terrell Tatum
SS Jose Torres
C Luca Tresh
RF Devonte Brown
3B Vojtech Mensik
2B J.T. Jarrett
P Sam Highfill
Pregame
Christian Franklin is not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive day. Van Horn said he would be available off the bench for today's game.
Arkansas will be the visiting team today.
With a win Saturday, Arkansas will advance to the College World Series. NC State must win games Saturday and Sunday to avoid elimination.
Arkansas advanced to the super regionals by going 3-1 in a home regional against NJIT and Nebraska.
NC State won the Ruston (La.) Regional with a 3-0 record against Alabama and No. 16 overall seed Louisiana Tech.
The Wolfpack went 19-14 in ACC play after a 1-8 start. NC State finished second in the ACC regular-season standings and was runner-up at the ACC Tournament.
The super regional marks the first on-field meeting between North Carolina State coach Elliott Avent and Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn, who rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in wins among active college coaches.
Van Horn is the active leader in College World Series appearances by a coach with eight. Van Horn has led Arkansas to the College World Series six times and took Nebraska twice.
Avent coached NC State to the College World Series in 2013, which was the program's first appearance there in 45 years.
Arkansas is looking to advance to its 11th College World Series and third straight. The Razorbacks went to Omaha in 2018 and 2019. No tournament was played last year.
Arkansas relief pitcher Zebulon Vermillion will return to the 27-man roster this week. Vermillion was held out of the regional with arm soreness. Vermillion replaced Caleb Bolden on the roster. Bolden is nursing arm soreness….Arkansas first baseman Brady Slavens is about 80% of full health, Van Horn said. Slavens returned to action last Sunday after a sprained ankle forced him to miss five games.
NC State designated hitter Terrell Tatum is the son of former Arkansas running back Terrance Tatum, who played for the Razorbacks from 1982-85. Terrell Tatum’s older brother, Terry, was a redshirt baseball player at Arkansas in 2013.
Running updates by Seth Campbell and Scottie Bordelon