JJ Schwarz hit a two-run home run, Jack Leftwich pitched into the seventh inning, and the defending champion Florida Gators kept their College World Series run alive with a 9-6 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in a elimination game Thursday night in Omaha, Neb.
Blake Reese collected three hits, and Deacon Liput, Wil Dalton and Nick Horvath added two hits apiece for Florida (49-20). The Gators advance to play Arkansas on Friday night.
Leftwich allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Florida has one loss in the double-elimination tournament, while Arkansas (46-19) is undefeated. That means the Gators must post back-to-back wins over the Razorbacks on Friday and Saturday in order to reach the finals.
Texas Tech (45-20) was eliminated from the tournament despite a furious comeback attempt that included three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth. The Red Raiders were led at the plate by Josh Jung, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
--Field Level Media