Owls Hold Off Hurricanes, 3-2
June 19, 2006
Miami Post-Game Press Conference
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -Tyler Henley led off the game with a home run, closer Cole St. Clair pitched five solid innings in a rare start, and Rice held on in the ninth to beat Miami 3-2 in the College World Series on Monday night.
The victory put the Owls (57-11) in the winners’ bracket, and they need to win once more to advance to the championship series. Rice will take on the winner of Tuesday’s elimination game between Miami (42-23) and Oregon State on Wednesday night.
Miami fell short in its comeback bid in the ninth as Bryce Cox struck out the last two batters with the tying run on third base and the potential winning run on first.
With the count 2-2, Jon Jay checked his swing and plate umpire Randy Harvey appealed to third-base ump Joe Burleson, who said Jay swung for strike three.
Hurricanes coach Jim Morris ran out of the dugout to argue the call, and was ejected by Burleson shortly into the discussion.
Then, with most of the crowd standing at Rosenblatt Stadium, Cox came right back and struck out Danny Valencia to end the game.
St. Clair (7-2), one of the country’s top closers, got the start against Miami and was outstanding early, keeping the Hurricanes off balance with his high leg kick and mix of nasty pitches. He allowed one unearned run and three hits before being replaced by Bobby Bell to start the sixth after throwing 92 pitches. He struck out six and walked two.
The sophomore closer started one other game in his career, throwing three scoreless innings in Rice’s 9-3 win over Sam Houston State on Feb. 21.
Cox scattered three hits in 2 2-3 innings to earn his fourth save.
Rice gave St. Clair an early lead, scoring twice in the first against Danny Gil (4-3). Henley sent Gil’s third pitch past the outstretched glove of leaping right fielder Tommy Giles and over the wall.
After Greg Buchanan singled, Brian Friday bunted in front of the plate and catcher Eddy Rodriguez grabbed the ball and sidearmed it to first, but first baseman Yonder Alonso had the ball tip off the top his glove for an error. One out later, Joe Savery’s sacrifice fly to left made it 2-0 before Friday was caught stealing for the final out.
Miami scored an unearned run against St. Clair in the third after the Owls made two errors.
Rodriguez hit a leadoff grounder to shortstop that Friday fielded, but threw high past Savery at first base. Jemile Weeks doubled down the third-base line, and Giles walked to load the bases. Jay followed with a grounder to second base that came up and hit Buchanan in the chest and fell to the ground, allowing Rodriguez to score.
St. Clair then got Valencia to hit into a 5-2-3 double play, with Savery pumping his fist after catching the ball at first base to complete the play.
Rice added a run in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Kenny Ford.
Miami had a chance to tie – or even take its first lead – in the seventh, when the Hurricanes hit consecutive one-out singles against Bell. Cox came in and got Valencia to hit a potential double-play grounder that Friday fielded, but dropped as he got ready to toss it to second base. The shortstop recovered the ball and quickly shuffled it to Buchanan at second base as Weeks scored to make it 3-2. Dennis Raben grounded to second to end the threat.
