June 21, 2012

CWS Game 11 Notes

Arizona batters FSU, reaches CWS championship series

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

@roadtoomaha

OMAHA, Neb. – What a difference one play can make. And it doesn’t have to come in the eighth or ninth.

No. 3 Florida State failed to turn a double play in the bottom of the first, leading to a six-run inning for Arizona in a 10-3 victory at TD Ameritrade Park to advance to the championship series of the 2012 College World Series.

The Wildcats (46-17) will face either Arkansas or South Carolina in the best-of-three series beginning on Sunday, June 24, at 7 p.m. CT. The Seminoles finish the season at 50-17.

“We're very thankful,” said Arizona head coach Andy Lopez, “very thankful to be victorious today. They obviously helped us a little bit in that first inning defensively, which was very uncharacteristic of a Florida State team. And, again, it's just remembrance that it's a game played by young people, and we got some breaks today.”

Joey Rickard had a leadoff single to left in the bottom of the first for Arizona. Johnny Field hit a come-backer to the mound. FSU starter Brandon Leibrandt tried to start the double play, but his throw sailed into center field, allowing Rickard to move to third. Alex Mejia had a base hit to right to plate Rickard with the first run. Robert Refsnyder walked to load the bases before a sacrifice fly by Seth Mejias-Brean made it 2-0. Bobby Brown walked to reload the bases. Joseph Maggi singled to left to drive in Mejia and when the left fielder overran the ball, Refsnyder came home to make it 4-0, ending the day for Leibrandt. Following a strikeout, Trent Gilbert delivered a two-run single to left to push the lead to 6-0.

The Seminoles scored in the top of the fourth as Jayce Boyd had a leadoff single and scored on a double by Justin Gonzalez to make it 6-1.

Arizona used the long ball to extend its lead in the bottom of the frame. Refsnyder launched a homer to left, his seventh, before Brown followed a double by Mejias-Brean with a dinger to right to extend the lead to 9-1. Joey Rickard added a RBI single later in the inning as the score grew to 10-1.

Jose Brizuela had a leadoff single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Boyd in the seventh as FSU narrowed the margin to 10-2. Devon Travis added a RBI double in the ninth for the Seminoles to make the final 10-3.

“About the easiest way to sum it up is to say we got taken to the woodshed today,” said FSU head coach Mike Martin. “It was just a tremendous job by U of A and the way they played the game. They were very difficult outs all day long. They battled extremely well, offensively, and certainly made a couple of great plays on the defensive side. It's just one of those situations where you tip your hat to the other club. It's nothing that anybody can say but we got whipped. Sometimes you are the dog, sometimes you're the fire hydrant.”

Refsnyder finished with three hits, two runs and one RBI, while Brown was 2 for 2 with three walks, two runs and two RBI for the Wildcats.

Kurt Heyer (13-2) earned the victory, going 7.1 innings with nine hits, two runs, three walks and three strikeouts.

Gonzalez had three hits and one RBI, while Johnson, Travis and Boyd each had two hits for the Seminoles.