June 6, 2008

Georgia Takes NCAA Opener, 11-4, Over Pack

ATHENS, Ga. - Three big-run innings allowed Georgia to score 11 consecutive times Friday afternoon and take the first game of the NCAA Athens (Ga.) Super Regional, 11-4, at the Bulldogs' Foley Field.

"They had a couple of big innings, which just isn't typical of our team," Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent said.

The two teams will meet again Saturday at noon in the best-of-three series, in a possible elimination game that will be televised by ESPN2 and broadcast by the Wolfpack Sports Network. The game is available locally on WKNC 88.1-FM and globally on GoPack.com.

The Wolfpack (41-20) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the game with a pair of home runs in the top of the third inning, quickly quieting a mostly partisan crowd of 3,517 spectators. Drew Martin led off the inning with a solo shot - just his fourth homer of the season - into the Leyland cypresses beyond the left-field wall. It was Martin's second home run of the post-season, his first coming in the NCAA-opener against James Madison.

Seminole Baseball Falls 10-7 To Wichita State In Super Regional Opener

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Rob Musgrave pitched 5.2 innings and Conor Gillaspie hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to lead Wichita State to a 10-7 victory over Florida State in the first game of the Tallahassee Super Regional on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. The win moves the Shockers to within one victory of advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1996 and for the eighth time in school history.

The Shockers and the Seminoles will play the second game of the series Saturday at Noon. The best two-out-of-three series will finish on Sunday should the Seminoles force a third game.

Musgrave improved his record to 12-1 as he allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits while striking out five. He threw 120 pitches as the temperature on the field surpassed the 100 degree mark. Anthony Capra got the final out of the game to record his first save of the season.

Hurricanes Drop Super Regional Opener in Extra Innings

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Jon Gaston hit a three-run home run in the top of the 11th as No. 12 Arizona defeated No. 1 Miami 6-3 in the opening game of their Super Regional Friday night.

Gaston, a seventh-round draft choice by the Houston Astros earlier Friday, drove Miami reliever Carlos Gutierrez's 1-1 pitch over the fence in right field for his 12th home run of the season.

Gutierrez (5-3) struck out the first two hitters in the 11th but hit Colt Sedbrook on an 0-2 pitch. Brad Glenn followed with a single before Gaston's game-winning shot.

Jason Stoffel (4-2) pitched three scoreless innings and struck out five for the win.

Game two of the best of three series will be Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. and televised on ESPN.

Miami's Yasmani Grandal led off the ninth with a double to deep centerfield against reliever Ryan Perry. Stoffel replaced Perry and struck out Blake Tekotte. After Stoffel hit Jemile Weeks, Yonder Alonso hit a drive to deep right center but the Wildcats' T.J. Steele ran down Alonso's shot and threw out pinch runner Jonathan Weislow, who rounded third.