June 21, 2011

Bears Live to Play Another Day

CWS Scores & Schedule

Porter, Flemer pitch Cal past Texas A&M

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

@roadtoomaha

(photos by Jimmy Jones)

OMAHA, Neb. – Kyle Porter (right) and Matt Flemer took care of business on the mound as California eliminated Texas A&M 7-3 at the 2011 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park.

The Golden Bears (38-22) will play on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT against Virginia.

Porter (6-0) pitched the first six innings and allowed seven hits and three runs with one walk and four strikeouts. Flemer scattered three hits in three scoreless innings with no walks and five punchouts to record his sixth save.

“We have tremendous confidence with Kyle,” said Cal head coach David Esquer. “Every time we use him the whole year is when the game mattered most, whether it was out of the pen or starting games. Just an outstanding performance.”

The Aggies (47-22) took an early lead in the bottom of the fourth on a home run off the bat of Adam Smith, his seventh.

The Golden Bears answered immediately with three in the top of the fifth. Chad Bunting started the inning by reaching on an error and moved to third on a base hit by Darrel Matthews. Derek Campbell (right), playing second due to the quad injury of Tony Renda, singled home Bunting and an error by the centerfielder allowed Matthews to score the go-ahead run. Renda, the DH, hit a short fly to right on which Campbell scored to push the lead to 3-1.

“Tony comes up and hits the ball not too deep,” Campbell said, “so I’m tagging up. I hear the third base coach going ‘You’re going, you’re going.’ So I’m just running as fast as I can and I don’t think twice about it. I trusted my coach. So luckily it was a little high.”

Campbell had another RBI single in a three-run sixth as Cal built a 6-1 lead.

“Those guys grinded out at-bats,” said A&M head coach Rob Childress about the Cal hitters. “They did a great job. It was a great experience here. Sure wish we could stay longer, but I’m very proud of the seniors that led us.”

Kevin Gonzalez finished with three hits, while Krey Bratsen and Brandon Wood both had two hits for the Aggies.

Earlier in the day, before the CWS victory, Esquer was named Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

“The whole day’s been amazing,” Esquer said. “You can’t be a good coach without good players. It’s been really, really gratifying and humbling to have both in one day.”