Watch: UCSB punches ticket to Omaha on walk-off grand slam
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UC Santa Barbara freshman Sam Cohen crushed a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Gauchos a 4–3 win over top-ranked Louisville and punch their ticket to the College World Series.
After UCSB had loaded the bases with one out, Cohen stepped up to face Louisville closer and recent first-round draft pick Nick Burdi. Trailing in the count, 1–2, Cohen turned on a changeup, sending the ball over the fence in rightfield.
Cohen had taken just 26 at-bats the entire season before he was called upon to pinch-hit, and the home run is the second of his career.
UC Santa Barbara finished third in the Big West conference in the regular season and had previously never advanced to the super regionals.
Miami clinched its spot in Omaha with a 9–4 win over Boston College earlier in the day, while Arizona defeated Mississippi State 6–5 on Saturday to advance.
Texas Tech beat East Carolina in an 11–0 rout on Sunday.
Coastal Carolina hit a double in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat LSU 4–3, while TCU beat Texas A&M 4–1 to advance to the CWS. Oklahoma State also moved on, defeating South Carolina 3–1.
One spot in the College World Series will be filled Monday. Florida beat Florida State 5-0 on Sunday to even that series at a game apiece. The deciding game is Monday night in Gainesville, Fla.
