Florida locks up spot in the CWS finals, eliminates TCU

The Gators (53-15) will play either No. 1 national seed Wake Forest or LSU in the best-of-three championship series starting Saturday. LSU forced a second bracket final with a 5-2 win over Wake Forest on Wednesday. The teams meet again Thursday.

Florida is in the finals for the fourth time, and first since it won the national championship in 2017. But the win wasn’t secure until Michael Robertson, who entered in the top of the ninth as a pinch runner, caught Brayden Taylor’s deep fly against the center-field wall to end the game.

TCU (44-24) staved off elimination twice to get to Wednesday’s game, and it finished the season with wins in 21 of 25 games.

Florida led 2-1 after the first inning, and neither team scored again until TCU tied it in the bottom of the eighth when Tre Richardson singled, took second on a groundout and came home on Anthony Silva’s deep fly to left-center that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double.

Tyler Shelnut doubled off the right-center wall leading off the Florida ninth against Ben Abeldt. Garrett Wright relieved, and pinch hitter Dale Thomas popped out trying to bunt before Colby Halter’s deep flyout allowed Robertson to take third. Robertson scored when Cade Kurland’s grounder to short pulled Silva to his right. Silva bounced a throw to first that was far too late to get Kurland.

Florida joined Eastern Michigan in 1976, South Carolina in 1977 and Texas in 2002 as the only teams in CWS history to win each of their first three games by a single run to reach the finals. The Gators beat Virginia 6-5 and Oral Roberts 5-4 in their first two games in Omaha.

The Gators have won eight straight games since a loss to Texas Tech in regionals.

Florida two-way star Jac Caglianone was shaky over 4 1/3 innings in his first start since June 2. He had walked three, hit three batters and gave up three hits when he left.

Josh Rivera, the Gators’ shortstop, hit a two-run homer in the first inning and made a perfect relay throw home to prevent TCU from scoring the tying run in the fourth.

Freshman Kole Klecker, starting on four days’ rest for the first time, allowed two runs on six hits in five innings.

LSU 5, WAKE FOREST 2: Cade Beloso hit a go-ahead three-run homer, freshman Griffin Herring pitched 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief in his longest outing and LSU defeated No. 1 national seed Wake Forest to stay alive in the College World Series.

The Tigers (51-16) forced a second bracket final Thursday night and the winner will advance to play Florida in the best-of-three championship series that starts Saturday. The Gators clinched a spot with a 3-2 win over TCU.

Wake Forest (54-11) will look to bounce back from its first loss in its eight NCAA Tournament games. The Demon Deacons, who have not lost consecutive games this season, are trying to reach the championship round in its first CWS appearance since their 1955 team won the national title.

LSU hopes to set up a rematch of the 2017 finals, which Florida won.

The Tigers erased a 2-0 deficit in the third inning when Dylan Crews scored on a wild pitch to tie it and Beloso launched Seth Keener’s 2-0 fastball into the right-field bullpen. As Beloso approached the plate, he pulled his helmet off, chest-bumped Gavin Dugas and slapped Tre’ Morgan’s arm — and then all three did cross-arm flexes in front of their celebrating dugout.

It was only the fourth homer surrendered by Keener in 69 innings this season.

Herring, who hadn’t pitched since June 5 and had never gone more than three innings, steadied the Tigers after starter Javen Coleman and Blake Money combined to get just five outs.