Hurricanes Fall in College World Series Opener, 7-4
June 14, 2008
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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Georgia scored four runs in the ninth inning – two on Miami closer Carlos Gutierrez’s throwing error – and the Bulldogs came from behind to beat the top-seeded Hurricanes 7-4 in the College World Series on Saturday night.
Gutierrez, the Minnesota Twins’ first-round draft pick, came on to start the ninth to protect Miami’s one-run lead. Miami lost for the first time in 46 games in which it led after eight innings.
Georgia (42-23-1) advanced to a game against Stanford on Monday. Miami will try to stay alive in Bracket 1 when it meets Florida State in an elimination game, also Monday.
Georgia’s Bryce Massanari singled up the middle leading off the ninth. Pinch-runner Adam Fuller moved over on Matt Cerione’s sacrifice, and Robbie O’Bryan reached when he swung at Gutierrez’s wild pitch on strike three, putting runners at the corners.
Lyle Allen singled in the tying run before David Thoms grounded to Gutierrez (5-4), who threw far wide of first baseman Yonder Alonso. Two runs scored as the ball rolled into the Georgia bullpen. Thoms ended up on third and scored on Ryan Peisel’s single to left.
Joshua Fields (3-2) pitched 1 1-3 innings of shutout relief to get the win.
Alonso, Jemile Weeks and Blake Tekotte homered, accounting for all of Miami’s runs.
Alonso, the Cincinnati Reds’ first-round draft pick, ended Georgia left-handed reliever Alex McRee’s night by launching a 1-1 pitch into the seats in left-center field with two outs in the seventh. The shot broke a 3-3 tie and was his third in three games, his 18th in his last 32 games and 24th of the season.
Weeks homered off Trevor Holder in the first, but Georgia got that run back in the third on Peisel’s two-out single.
Tekotte’s two-run homer in the third moved Miami ahead 3-1, but it was tied again in the sixth after Peisel’s two-run shot.
Georgia threatened to go ahead in the seventh. But with runners on second and third, Miami reliever Kyle Bellamy struck out Thoms when third-base umpire Mitch Mele ruled Thoms went too far on his check swing.
McRee got Tekotte to line out and caught Weeks looking at strike three before giving up Alonso’s go-ahead home run in the seventh.
National freshman of the year Chris Hernandez worked the first 6 1-3 innings for the Hurricanes, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out five of the first six batters he faced.
Holder lasted four innings for the Bulldogs, allowing three runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out five.
