Hurricanes Eliminated From CWS By South Carolina, 15-11
June 22, 2004
By ERIC OLSON
Associated Press Writer
OMAHA, Neb. – Bryan Triplett had four hits, and Nick Gardiner andBrendan Winn drove in three runs each as South Carolina eliminated Miami fromthe College World Series with a 15-11 victory Tuesday night.
Winn, Steven Tolleson and Steve Pearce each homered and the Gamecocks scoredthe most runs against Miami since Florida got 15 in last year’s NCAA regionals.
Winn scored five times to tie a CWS record.
Miami was the second team knocked out of the CWS on Tuesday. Georgiaeliminated Arizona with a 3-1 victory earlier in the day.
The Gamecocks, beaten 2-0 by Cal State Fullerton in their CWS opener,defeated LSU 15-4 on Monday and became the first team since LSU in 1991 toscore 15 or more runs in consecutive Series games.
South Carolina starter Billy Buckner (7-2) scattered nine hits and struckout 10 in seven innings.
The Gamecocks (51-16) play Wednesday against Cal State Fullerton. They willhave to beat the Titans twice to reach the best-of-three championship roundthat starts this weekend.
Georgia faces a similar task as it must beat top-seeded Texas on Wednesdayand Thursday to get to the championship series.
Jon Jay had a three-run homer and a career-high four RBIs, and Roger Tomaswent 4-for-5 to lead Miami (50-13), which scored seven runs in the last twoinnings after falling behind 15-4.
The Hurricanes, who lost to Fullerton on Monday, outhit the Gamecocks 17-16but couldn’t avoid losing consecutive games for the first time this season.
South Carolina scored at least two runs in each of the first four innings tobuild a 12-0 lead. The Gamecocks finished with their most runs since scoring 16against Delaware State in March. Their season high was 38 against CharlestonSouthern in the second game of the year.
Pearce hit a two-run homer, his team-leading 21st, in the first off Miamistarter Brandon Camardese (6-3), who lasted just 1 1-3 innings.
Miami scored seven runs on eight hits against reliever Cliff Donald.
Michael Hyle pitched six shutout innings, and Marshall Szabo had three hits- including a triple and double in Georgia’s victory over Arizona.
Now the Bulldogs (45-22) get Texas in the Bracket One final.
“We can’t even enjoy this for a little bit, huh?” Georgia coach DavidPerno said. “I guess that’s where we have to go next.”
The Bulldogs lost 9-3 to Texas on Sunday.
“We’re better than we showed Sunday night, and our players want a shot togo out and prove it,” Perno said.
Arizona (36-27-1) went 1-2 in its first CWS appearance since 1986, losingtwice to Georgia.
Hyle (8-2) scattered six hits, walked two and struck out five before leavingin the seventh inning. Will Startup earned his 12th save of the season andsecond of the CWS.
Startup retired five in a row, striking out three. The All-SoutheasternConference closer has allowed four hits and one run in six innings of CWS work,and he said he’s ready to pitch some more on short rest.
“This is the biggest stage in college baseball, so there’s no question I’llbe ready to go,” he said.
Kevin Guyette (6-8) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Georgia scored twice in the third when Szabo drove in a run and then camehome on Joey Side’s single. The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the eighthwhen Szabo tripled and then scored on Bobby Felmy’s two-out single.
Arizona got only one runner past second base in the first six innings.
The Wildcats broke through in the seventh against Startup. He bounced backto retire the final five batters, striking out three.
