June 1, 2008

Top seeds Miami, Arizona, NC State post 1-run wins

Ann Arbor Regional

1 Arizona 4 @ 2 Michigan 3

3 Kentucky 5 @ 2 Michigan 7

3 Kentucky 4 vs. 4 Eastern Michigan 3 (EMU eliminated)

C.J. Ziegler dove to his right and flipped to his pitcher covering first to save a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Arizona held on to edge Michigan in the winners’ bracket. Ziegler contributed a pair of hits and a RBI, and Brad Glenn had two hits and a RBI for the Wildcats, who scored three times in the first off Chris Fetter. Fetter settled down to toss a complete game and give the Wolverines a chance. Zach Putnam and Ryan LaMarre had solo homers to close the gap to one. Arizona (40-17) will await the winner of Michigan (46-13) and Kentucky.

In the second game of the day, Sawyer Carroll went 2 for 3 with a homer and two RBI as Kentucky edged Eastern Michigan to avoid elimination. Carroll hit his second homer in two days, and Chris McClendon had two hits and a RBI for the Wildcats (43-18). Matt Shoemaker was solid of 7.1 innings for EMU.

It took two days, but Michigan knocked off Kentucky as Adam Abraham went 3 for 4 with a RBI. The teams played into the fifth Friday night before rain suspended the action with the Wolverines up 5-1. Abraham contributed a RBI when play resumed Saturday morning. Michigan had scored five runs in the second inning to take a big lead. Jason Christian and Leif Mahler contributed two RBI apiece for the Wolverines (46-12). Kentucky (42-18) scored four times in the seventh to get back into it, with Sawyer Carroll (2 for 4) blasting a homer. Tyler Howe finished with two hits and two RBI.

Athens Regional

2 Georgia Tech 6 vs. 4 Lipscomb 3  CBI Live

3 Louisville 8 @ 1 Georgia 9 (UL eliminated)  CBI Live

Baton Rouge Regional

2 Southern Miss 4 @ 1 LSU 13

3 New Orleans 18 vs. 4 Texas Southern 5 (TSU eliminated)

In the winners’ bracket, Matt Clark ripped two of LSU’s five homers as the Tigers pounded Southern Miss to extend their winning streak to 22 games. Clark finished with four RBI, and Blake Dean and Michael Hollander each homered and drove in two for the Tigers (45-16-1). James Ering went 2 for 4 with two RBI for the Golden Eagles (41-21), who will meet New Orleans in a rematch of Friday’s first round.

Jeff Lanning blasted a grand slam, and Johnny Giavotella went 3 for 3 with four runs and three RBI as New Orleans eliminated Texas Southern. The Privateers (43-20) scored three times in the first and three more in the third. The big inning was the fifth, when UNO scored six times to make it 13-2. Nick Schwaner also drove in four, and Joey Butler had two hits and three runs for UNO. Adam Sellers had two hits and two RBI for TSU (16-34).

Cary Regional

2 UNC Wilmington 1 @ 1 North Carolina 5

3 Elon 6 vs. 4 Mount St. Mary’s 3 (MSM eliminated)

North Carolina's Alex White was nearly untouchable as the Tar Heels shut down UNCW. White went the distance for UNC (48-12), allowing three hits, a run and a walk while striking out eight. Jeff Hatcher was good for UNCW (43-16-1), throwing a complete game and allowing just seven hits with nine strikeouts. However, he was done in by back-to-back homers in the fourth from Kyle Seager and Tim Federowicz, Seager's blast coming with a man on. Tim Federoff had two hits and scored twice for the Heels.

Elon brought an end to Mount St. Mary's first trip to the NCAA tournament behind a strong outing from Kenneth Ferrer. After allowing a first inning solo homer to Drew Counselman, Ferrer held down the Mount St. Mary's (21-34) offense until the eighth when Josh Vittek hit a two-run shot. Meanwhile, the Elon (44-17) offense built a six-run lead. Mike Melillo's two-run shot in the sixth was the big blow. Eight different Elon players recorded a hit for the Phoenix.

College Station Regional

3 Houston 4 @ 1 Texas A&M 22

2 Dallas Baptist 5 vs. 4 Illinois-Chicago 9 (DBU eliminated)

Kyle Colligan hit two of a school-record six home runs as Texas A&M thumped Houston in front of 5,202 fans at Olsen Field. Colligan hit the second pitch of the game out, sparking a three-run first for the Aggies (45-16). He added a two-run shot in the seventh. Brodie Greene, Darby Brown, Kevin Gonzalez and Luke Anders all went deep for A&M. Jimmy Cesario had a three-run blast for the Cougars (40-23).

Ty Rubio went 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBI, including the go-ahead hit as Illinois-Chicago scored five times after two were out in the fifth and eliminated Dallas Baptist. Brett Schaefer also had two hits and two RBI for the Flames, who were trailing 5-2 before the big inning. UIC (35-21) will play Houston next. The Patriots finish 37-19.

Conway Regional

3 Alabama 10 @ 1 Coastal Carolina 13

2 East Carolina 9 vs. 4 Columbia 0 (Columbia eliminated)

A seven-run eighth inning propelled Coastal Carolina to victory against Alabama. The Chanticleers had already scored four times when Tommy Baldridge hit a three-run bomb to give Coastal Carolina (49-12) the lead. Alabama (35-27) had built its lead with a pair of Ross Wilson jacks and solo shots by Alex Avila and Tyler Odle. Dock Doyle and Adam Rice each added a pair of RBI for Coastal Carolina.

A day after the Pirates' pitching staff melted down against Alabama, senior T.J. Hose took the hill and fired a four-hit shutout. Hose walked just one and struck out seven, and all four hits were singles. The East Carolina (40-21) offense provided plenty of support, Jamie Ray, the second batter of the game, hit a two-run homer to open the scoring. Ray drove in another with a double in the third, then star catcher Corey Kemp blew the game open with a three-run bomb.

Coral Gables Regional

2 Missouri 5 @ 1 Miami 6

3 Ole Miss 14 vs. 4 Bethune-Cookman 1 (B-CU eliminated)

Yasmani Grandal delivered a go-ahead single in the bottom of the eighth to give Miami a narrow win over Missouri. Dave DiNatale walked with one out and moved to third on pinch-hitter Adan Severino’s single to right, setting the stage for Grandal, the 9-hole hitter. Blake Tekotte, a Missouri native, had a two-run homer in the third off Rick Zagone to give the Hurricanes (49-8) a 5-0 lead. Ryan Jackson also was big in building the early lead, going 3 for 4 with three RBI. But the Tigers (39-20) came back as Aaron Senne had a two-run single to key a three-run fifth, and Steve Gray belted a two-run homer in the eighth to tie the game. Missouri will match up again with Ole Miss for the right to play Miami.

Michael Guerrero homered twice and drove in five in a 10-run sixth inning as Ole Miss eliminated Bethune-Cookman. Cody Overbeck had three hits, including a homer, three runs and two RBI, and Fuller Smith drove in three for the Rebels (37-26). Jose Ortiz went 3 for 4 with a RBI for the Wildcats, who finish 36-22.

Fullerton Regional

2 UCLA 11 @ 1 Cal State Fullerton 4

3 Virginia 8 vs. Rider 2 (Rider eliminated)

Brandon Crawford had two hits, including a home run, two runs and three RBI as UCLA outscored Cal State Fullerton at Goodwin Field. Casey Haerther had a two-run homer in the first as the Bruins (33-25) built a 10-2 lead after four. Christian Colon had two hits, one run and one RBI for the Titans (38-20).

Andrew Carraway pitched seven solid innings and John Barr contributed four hits as Virginia eliminated Rider. Carraway (4-3) allowed six hits and two earned runs with one walk and 10 strikeouts. Michael Schwimer pitched the final two innings for his 14th save, tying a school record. Barr doubled and scored in a three-run fourth as the Cavaliers (39-22) built a 4-0 lead. Virginia will face host Cal State Fullerton in an elimination game Sunday afternoon. Rider ended its season at 29-28.

Houston Regional

3 St. John’s 2 @ 1 Rice 11  CBI Live

2 Texas 13 vs. 4 Sam Houston State 3 (SHSU eliminated)  CBI Live

Lincoln Regional

2 UC Irvine 3 @ 1 Nebraska 2

3 Oral Roberts 8 vs. 4 Eastern Illinois 7 (10) (EIU eliminated)

Daniel Bibona struck out seven over a career-high eight innings, and Eric Pettis came on for his 17^th save as UC Irvine knocked off Nebraska in the winners’ bracket. Ollie Linton’s solo homer in the fifth inning gave the Anteaters (40-16) their final margin, and Bibona (9-3) made it stick, allowing only four hits. Pettis tied the school record held by Blair Erickson with the save. Eric Deragisch doubled in Casey Stevenson in the second inning for a 1-0 UCI lead. After Jake Opitz ripped a two-run homer for the Cornhuskers (41-15-1), Jeff Cusick singled in Ben Orloff to tie it in the fourth.

Brendan Duffy had an RBI single in the top of the 10th and T.J. Kelly earned his 10th save as Oral Roberts eliminated Eastern Illinois. The Golden Eagles (47-13) face Nebraska Sunday afternoon in an elimination game. EIU ended its season at 27-30.

Long Beach Regional

2 San Diego 0 vs. 4 Fresno State 6  CBI Live

3 California 2 @ 1 Long Beach State 9 (Cal eliminated)  CBI Live

Raleigh Regional

2 South Carolina 4 @ 1 NC State 5

3 Charlotte 12 vs. 4 James Madison 13 (Charlotte eliminated)

Marcus Jones’ single scored Matt Payne with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh, and Kyle Rutter and Eryk McConnell held the lead as NC State edged South Carolina in a winners’ bracket thriller. Dallas Poulk had three hits and two RBI, and Pat Ferguson went 3 for 4 with a RBI for the Wolfpack (40-20), which trailed 4-3 before Jones scored the tying run in the sixth. Clayton Shunick tossed 6.1 solid innings, keeping the Gamecocks’ big bats in check. White Merrifield went 3 for 3 with a RBI, and DeAngelo Mack went 2 for 2 with two runs and a RBI for the Gamecocks (39-22). South Carolina will meet James Madison Sunday for the right to play the Wolfpack.

James Madison trailed 10-2 entering the bottom of the fifth, but Brett Sellers (3 for 4, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI) and Alex Foltz (3 RBI) brought the Dukes back to eliminate Charlotte. McKinnon Langston and Matt Browning each contributed three hits, Steven Caseres and Trevor Knight added two RBI apiece for JMU (39-18). Shane Moody, Rob Lyerly and Corey Shaylor each led the 49ers (43-16) with two hits and two RBI.

 Stanford Regional

2 Pepperdine 7 vs. 4 UC Davis 4

3 Arkansas 1 @ 1 Stanford 5 (UA eliminated)

Nate Simon and Denny Duron each had two-run homers as Pepperdine topped UC Davis at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. Simon went deep in the second to give the Waves (38-19) an early lead. Duron's homer came in the eighth. Ty Kelly had a two-run double for the Aggies (35-23).

Austin Yount and Jeremy Bleich combined to shut down Arkansas to the tune of one run and nine hits as Stanford staved off elimination. Randy Molina went 3 for 4 with a homer, three runs and a RBI, and Sean Ratliff had two hits and a RBI for the Cardinal (34-22-2). Chase Leavitt went 2 for 3 with a run for the Razorbacks, who end their season at 34-24. Stanford will face UC Davis in an elimination game on Sunday.

Stillwater Regional

2 Wichita State 5 @ 1 Oklahoma State 3

3 TCU 10 vs. 4 Western Kentucky 5 (WKU eliminated)

Aaron Shafer went the distance as Wichita State defeated Oklahoma State. Shafer (11-3) allowed five hits, two earned runs and one walk while striking out 10. Neil Medchill homered in the second for the Cowboys (43-17). Dusty Coleman smacked a two-run shot in the fourth for the Shockers (46-15) to knot the score at 2-2. Conor Gillaspie's RBI single sparked a two-run fifth for WSU. OSU will face TCU in an elimination game Sunday afternoon.

Bryan Holaday had a two-run, bases-loaded double to key a five-run seventh inning as TCU broke from a 5-5 game and knocked out Western Kentucky. Matt Vern homered and drove in three, and Chris Ellington went 4 for 5 with two runs and a RBI for the Horned Frogs (44-18). Chad Cregar went 3 for 5 with his 21^st homer and four RBI for the Hilltoppers (33-27).

Tallahassee Regional

3 Tulane 4 vs. 4 Bucknell 1

2 Florida 11 @ 1 Florida State 17 (UF eliminated)

Matt Petiton pitched into the sixth, and Preston Claiborne relieved, combining to limit Bucknell to three hits and a run as Tulane captured a winners’ bracket victory. Rob Segedin had a two-run single, and Anthony Scelfo added a two-run triple for the Green Wave (39-20-1). The Tulane defense made several big-time plays in support of Petiton (7-1) and Claiborne, who allowed one hit in 3.2 innings to earn his third save. The Bison (30-23-2) meet Florida State again for the right to play Tulane.

Tony Delmonico went 2 for 5 with three runs and four RBI, and Florida State pounded out 25 hits in eliminating rival Florida. Tommy Oravetz had three hits and three RBI, and Stuart Tapley, Jack Rye and Dennis Guinn each had three hits and two RBI for the Seminoles (49-11), who scored seven in the fifth and five in the seventh a day after being shut out for the first time this year. Clayton Pisani went 2 for 4 with a homer, two runs and four RBI for the Gators (34-24).

Tempe Regional

3 Oklahoma 3 @ 1 Arizona State 15

2 Vanderbilt 9 vs. 4 Stony Brook 4 (SB eliminated)

Mike Leake pitched eight strong innings as Arizona State thumped Oklahoma. Leake (10-2) allowed eight hits and two runs with six strikeouts. Ike Davis, Petey Paramore and Ryan Sontag each had three hits for the Sun Devils (47-11). Aaron Baker had a pair of solo homers for the Sooners (35-25-1), who face Vanderbilt in an elimination game Sunday afternoon.

Andrew Giobbi went 4 for 4 with three RBI, and Mike Minor tossed eight solid innings as Vanderbilt eliminated Stony Brook. Steven Liddle went 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBI for the Commodores (41-21), who led 3-0 before scoring three times in the sixth and three more in the seventh. Steven Mazzurco had three hits, and Stephen Marino went 2 for 4 with a RBI for the Seawolves (34-26).