OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Terrell Tatum’s fifth-inning home run spoiled a dominant performance by national strikeout leader Jack Leiter and allowed North Carolina State to take control of its College World Series bracket with a 1-0 win over Vanderbilt.
Leiter and Wolfpack starter Sam Highfill dueled most of the evening with Leiter striking out 15 in eight innings and Highfill limiting the Commodores to two hits through 7 1/3.
Leiter matched the 15 strikeouts by Mississippi State’s Will Bodnar against Texas on Sunday, which was the most by a pitcher in a nine-inning CWS game in 25 years. Leiter leads the nation with 171.
