STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — No. 9 hitter David LaManna hit a three-run home run to cap a four-run fourth inning, catapulting No. 10 overall seed Notre Dame to a 9-1 victory over No. 7 seed Mississippi State in the Starkville Super Regional on Sunday, setting up a one-game showdown for a berth in the College World Series.
The Bulldogs (44-16) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Rowdey Jordan tripled on the first pitch from Notre Dame starter Aidan Tyrell (5-1) and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tanner Allen on Tyrell’s second pitch, but that was it for Mississippi State. Tyrell went 7 1/3 innings, yielding five hits while striking out six. Alex Rao closed out the win by retiring all five batters he faced after coming into the game with two on and one out.
Zack Prajzner had three singles for the Fighting Irish (34-12), driving in two and scoring. Jack Brannigan made it 8-1 in favor of ND with a homer in the sixth after Prajzner led off with a hit.
The two teams will play the rubber game of the series on Monday with the winner earning one of eight spots in the CWS.
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No. 7 Mississippi State Bulldogs (44-15) vs. No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (33-12) Game 2