Grand slam lifts UC Santa Barbara to College World Series

Cohen put UC Santa Barbara into its first College World Series with a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 4-3 victory over host and second-seeded Louisville 4-3.

Assistant coach Neil Walton “just said to stay short (on the bat) and try not to do too much,” Cohen, a freshman catcher, said of the 1-2 pitch from closer Zack Burdi.

Cohen’s no-doubt blast stunned a red-clad crowd and fueled several celebrations by the Gauchos (42-18-1), who are 5-0 in the postseason and are headed to Omaha, Neb., for the CWS.

In other super-regional highlights, No. 9 hitter Edgar Michelangeli hit a grand slam and a three-run homer to lift host Miami to a 9-4 win over Boston College and a spot in the CWS for the second straight year.