OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Arkansas scored four times in the fifth inning against Luke Heimlich and came close to his first national baseball championship with a 4-1 win over Oregon State in the first match of the World Series Series finals. Tuesday evening.

The opening match, delayed one day because of the rain, seemed to have a bit of everything – a flying ball lost in the sun for a regulation double, a runner interference call against the Oregon State and a fault call reversed on a ball struck on the right field line.

Then there was the sudden collapse of Heimlich, who looked so good, then so bad.

After missing the third run in his first two games of the CWS, the Beavers Ace was in full possession of his abilities while eliminating five and limiting the Razorbacks (48-19) to a four-a-shot sleeves.

In the fifth, however, the senior southpaw walked, hit two hitters, allowed two hits and had a bad break when Nick Madrigal, second baseman and first-round draft, attempted to throw.

Arkansas debutant, Blaine Knight (14-0), returned to the mound with a 4-1 lead, kicked another run and left seven hits with six strikeouts. Barrett Loseke and Matt Cronin combined three scoreless innings.

Michael Gretler's win in the second period places the Oregon State (53-12-1) in 1-0. The Beavers seemed ready to take advantage when Arkansas Heston Kjerstad lost Trevor Larnach's volley in the sun and that he bounced off the fence for a regulation double.

Adley Rutschman was first and Larnach third when Tyler Malone was in first place and Jared Gates was second to attempt a double try. Rutschman dodged as he approached the bag – rather than slipping or taking off the game – and was called to interfere with the stop-gap Jax Biggers. He was judged a double game, Larnach was ordered to return to third base, and Knight withdrew Gretler to complete the inning.

The room seemed to mark the momentum of Arkansas.

Heimlich (16-3) took a walk and gave two consecutive singles for the first round of the Razorbacks in fifth. Heimlich then hit two straight hitters to bring another run. Arkansas extended their lead to 3-1 after Madrigal's Bobroll tried to pitch to the second on a grounder.

Fans of Arkansas serenaded Heimlich with the song "Calling the Hogs" while he was walking towards the dugout after being fired with loaded bases. Christian Chamberlain came in and walked the first batter he faced, making him 4-1. Chamberlain retired 11 batters in 4 innings and 2/3, but also walked five times.

The Beavers missed opportunities to cut in the lead.

Cadyn Grenier hit a ball on the line as right-field referee Barry Chambers called foul in the fifth. The ball was judged just after a video review, putting the riders in first and third place, but Madrigal lined up to finish the inning.

In the seventh, Zak Taylor was kicked out at the second attempt to stretch a single in doubles.

The first two appearances of Heimlich in Omaha did not elicit much reaction from the crowd, aside from the encouragement of supporters of the Oregon State. This was especially the case Tuesday, although there were scattered boos when it was presented before the game and that a woman behind the Arkansas shelter stood up and gave a shot thumb of the right hand.

Last year, Heimlich left the team before the CWS when he revealed that he had pleaded guilty to assaulting a young parent at the age of 15. The university allowed him to return to the team this year. He served two years of probation and a treatment program, but denied reprehensible acts in recent interviews with Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.

KWAN RETURNS

Steven Kwan, center field player of Oregon State-Pac 12, was in the starting lineup for the first time since he was injured in his left thigh on June 18th. . The fifth round pick of the Cleveland Indians has been touched in two games. field before returning to the lineup on Tuesday.

FOLLOWING

Match 2 is Wednesday. The winner of the first game has won 11 of the 15 finals since the best of the three started in 2003.

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