May 31, 2008

• AP Photos - Saturday Games

FSU Avoids Elimination With 17-11 Victory Over Florida

Tallahassee, Fla. - Second-ranked Florida State (49-11) thwarted elimination on Saturday afternoon downing intra-state rival Florida (34-24) 17-11 in game three of the Tallahassee Regional. The Seminoles registered a season-high 25 hits as every batter in the starting line-up recorded a hit, while eight of the nine batters collected multiple hits. It was the fifth time this season that FSU has posted 20 or more hits in a game.

Tyler Holt and Jason Stidham led all hitters with four hits a piece. Jack Rye, Dennis Guinn, Stuart Tapley and Tommy Oravetz each contributed with three hits, while Buster Posey and Tony Delmonico registered two. Delmonico collected a team-high four RBIs, while Oravetz drove in three. Posey, Rye, Guinn and Tapley also added two RBIs a piece in the win.

The victory in game three snapped a seven game losing streak to the Gators in the postseason as it was the first win over Florida in the NCAA Tournament since downing UF 5-1 in Miami back in 1981. It also marked the first time since 2000 that the Seminoles registered at least three wins in a single-season over Florida.

The 28 combined runs were the second most scored in the series and the most since the two teams scored 30 in a 16-14 Florida victory in Gainesville back on March 6, 1983.

Grandal's RBI single lifts Hurricanes past Tigers

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP)_ Yasmani Grandal's tie-breaking run-scoring single in the eighth lifted No. 1 ranked and top-seeded Miami to a 6-5 victory over Missouri in a winner's bracket game of the Coral Gables Regional Saturday afternoon.

Grandal hit a hard ground ball off Missouri reliever Kyle Gibson (9-3) and past shortstop Andrew Thigpen, scoring Dave Dinatale from third. Dinatale reached on a one-out walk and advanced to third on pinch-hitter Adan Severino's single to right.

Miami reliever Carlos Gutierrez got the win, retiring the four hitters he faced. Gutierrez (5-2) struck out Aaron Senne and Jacob Priday for the final two outs. The victory assures Miami (49-8) a berth in the championship bracket Sunday at 4. Missouri and Mississippi will play an elimination game at noon.

Aaron Senne's two-run single against Hurricanes starter Chris Hernandez in the fifth reduced Miami's lead 5-2. Jacob Priday's fielder's choice scored Ryan Lollis for Missouri's third run of the inning.

Bellamy relieved Hernandez with two out and runners on second and third in the sixth and retired Priday on a lineout to shortstop Ryan Jackson.

White Shuts Down Seahawks, 5-1

CARY, N.C. (AP) - Kyle Seager and Tim Federowicz hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning to support Alex White's strong start and lift North Carolina past North Carolina-Wilmington 5-1 on Saturday in the NCAA Cary Regional.

White (9-3) threw a three-hitter and struck out eight for the top-seeded Tar Heels (48-12). The tournament's No. 2 overall seed moved within one victory of its third straight regional championship.

Jeff Hatcher (6-2) scattered seven hits and struck out a career-high nine, but managed to lose for the second time in three weeks for the No. 2 seed Seahawks (43-16-1), who were held well below their average of 8.5 runs.

Seager finished with three RBIs for the Tar Heels, who took control with a two-out power surge in the fourth.

Seager lined a 1-2 pitch from Hatcher over the wall in right field to score Tim Fedroff. Federowicz followed by sending a 1-2 pitch out to left-center, pushing the lead to 4-0.

That was more than enough offense for White, the Atlantic Coast Conference's pitcher of the year who seemed determined to make up for his postseason shortcomings last year as a freshman by having his way with one of the nation's highest-scoring offenses.

Jones' RBI-Single Lifts Pack to 5-4 Win over USC

RALEIGH, N.C. - Marcus Jones scored the tying run in the bottom of the sixth and drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh, as top-seeded NC State defeated second-seeded South Carolina 5-4 in a winners' bracket game in the NCAA Raleigh Regional at Doak Field at Dail Park.

The win allows the Wolfpack (40-20) to advance to a possible championship game Sunday at 6 p.m. in the NCAA Raleigh Regional, facing the winner of the 1 p.m. game between the Gamecocks and James Madison.

Jones tied the game at 4 by scoring on a wild pitch, then laced a line drive to center field to score Matt Payne an inning later, just after South Carolina took a 4-3 lead with two unearned runs in the top of the sixth.

Kyle Rutter (3-1), the Wolfpack's fourth pitcher of the night, entered the game in the seventh to pick up the win and senior closer Eryk McConnell pitched the ninth for his first save of the season in front of 2,577 specatators at the sold-out stadium.

South Carolina scored two unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 4-3 lead.

Sophomore second baseman Dallas Poulk hit a solo homer and had an RBI-single in the first three innings to give the Wolfpack a 2-0.

Yellow Jackets Roll Into Regional Championship After 6-3 Win vs. Lipscomb

ATHENS, Ga. - Brad Feltes' two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning helped Georgia Tech beat Lipscomb, 6-3, advancing the Yellow Jackets into the championship round of the Athens NCAA Baseball Regional at Georgia's Foley Field.

Georgia Tech (41-19) will play either Lipscomb or regional host Georgia (those two teams play Sunday at 2 p.m.) Sunday at 6 p.m. A win Sunday night would send the Yellow Jackets to a Super Regional next week. If Tech loses Sunday night, it would force a deciding game Monday at 7 p.m.

Feltes' clutch hit in the eighth inning came off of Lipscomb reliever Kyle Tognazzini and broke a 3-3 tie. Between a three-run second inning and Tech's two runs in the eighth, the Yellow Jackets were frustrated by Bison starter Brandon McClurg (6-6), who retired 16 of 17 batters during the stretch.

The Yellow Jackets used strong pitching performances from starter Deck McGuire and relievers Taylor Wood and Brad Rulon, who combined to strike out eight and allow just seven Lipscomb base hits. Wood (3-0) earned the win in relief and Rulon picked up his seventh save, his second save in as many nights.

Freshmen, Strong Pitching Key 8-2 Win over Rider in NCAA Regional

FULLERTON, Calif. - Andrew Carraway (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) pitched seven strong innings, John Barr (Fr., Ivyland, Pa.) had a career-high four hits and Michael Schwimer (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) tied the Virginia single-season saves record as the third-seeded Cavaliers earned an 8-2 win over No. 4-seed Rider Saturday in an elimination game at the NCAA Fullerton Regional at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, Calif.

Virginia (39-22) advances to play the loser of the UCLA/Cal State Fullerton game at 7 p.m. ET Sunday. The winner of the 7 p.m. game will then play the winner of the UCLA/Cal State Fullerton game at 11 p.m. ET Sunday in the regional championship game. If necessary, a second championship game would be held at 11 p.m. ET Monday. All games from the Fullerton regional will be televised on ESPNU.

Carraway (4-3) pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career. He went seven innings, allowing two earned runs, six hits and one walk while striking out 10. Carraway tied career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.

Michael Schwimer (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) tossed the final two innings to earn his 14th save, tying Casey Lambert's 2005 mark for the most in a single season at Virginia.