Mississippi 14, Bethune-Cookman 1

May 31, 2008

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CORAL GABLES (AP) – Michael Guerrero homered twice in one inning as Mississippi eliminated Bethune Cookman 14-1 in the Coral Gables Regional Saturday afternoon.

Guerrero’s home runs highlighted a 10-run sixth inning. The Rebels sent 14 batters to the plate against Wildcats starter Joseph Gautier and three relievers.

Guerrero drove Gautier’s 2-2 pitch over the fence in left field for his ninth home run of the year and a 6-1 lead. His second homer of the inning, a two-run shot, put Mississippi ahead 13-1.

Gautier (6-3) failed to retire a hitter in the sixth. He allowed six runs and six hits, walked two and struck out one.Fuller Smith’s two-run single off Wildcats’ reliever Roman Lancara gave Mississippi an 8-1 lead and Logan Power followed with an RBI double. Smith scored from third on a wild pitch from reliever Phil Enright, Bethune Cookman’s third pitcher of the inning.

Cody Overbeck’s RBI single scored Power for a 10-1 advantage. Overbeck also hit a solo home run in the eighth, his 16th of the season.

Jake Morgan got the victory in relief. Morgan (5-0) inherited two runners and one out from Mississippi starter Drew Pomeranz in the fifth and retired Osvaldo Torres on a line out to third and Emmanuel Castro on a fielder’s choice to preserve the Rebels’ 3-1 lead.

Phillip Irwin struck out nine in four scoreless innings for his first save of the season.Mississippi (38-25) will play the Miami-Missouri loser in an elimination game Sunday at noon.

The Rebels took the lead for good 2-1 on Fuller Smith’s two-out RBI single in the third. After Gautier retired the first two hitters, Jordan Henry kept the inning going for Mississippi with a double.

Matt Smith doubled in a run in the fourth, which increased the Rebels’ lead 3-1.Henry’s run scoring single in the first put Mississppi ahead 1-0.

The Wildcats (36-22) scored their only run in the second on Jose Ortiz’s RBI single.