Texas, LSU advance to the CWS finals

OMAHA, Neb. - Connor Rowe hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, moments after Cameron Rupp tied it with a homer of his own as Texas came from behind to beat Arizona State, 4-3, in the College World Series last night.

Rowe sent a shot into the leftfield seats, then sprinted around the bases with his helmet raised in his right hand as his celebrating teammates waited at home plate to greet him.

Two batters earlier, Rupp homered over the 22-foot wall in straightaway centerfield to tie it.

Texas advanced to the CWS best-of-three finals starting Monday against LSU.

In another game:

* LSU hit four home runs and ace righthander Anthony Ranaudo threw six solid innings as LSU eliminated Arkansas with a 14-5 victory that sent the Tigers into next week's College World Series finals.

The Tigers, who have hit nine homers in three CWS games and 102 overall, homered in three straight innings to break open a game that started 2 1/2 hours late because of rain. LSU (54-16) has won 13 straight games.

Arkansas (41-24) was outscored, 23-6, by LSU in two CWS games, and the Razorbacks lost four of five games overall against the Tigers this season. LSU shut out Arkansas for 14 straight innings over their two meetings in Omaha.

Ranaudo (11-3) allowed four hits and had five strikeouts against no walks. Austin Ross took over to start the seventh with the Tigers leading 11-0.

LSU's Blake Dean hit his second homer in three games, and 17th of the season, off Mike Bolsinger in the fifth.

Jared Mitchell, the Chicago White Sox' first-round draft pick, hit an opposite-field homer to left off former LSU pitcher TJ Forrest the next inning.

Ryan Schimpf followed with his team-leading 21st, sending Forrest's fastball near the top of the rightfield stands and starting a five-run seventh.

Tyler Hanover added a pinch-hit two-run homer in the ninth off Zack Cox, the seventh of a CWS record-tying eight pitchers used by the Razorbacks. *