June 11, 2007

COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP
2nd game of UNC-USC series postponed
Gamecocks lead 8-5 in bottom of 7th inning

KEN TYSIAC

CHAPEL HILL --
Saturday's NCAA baseball super regional game at North Carolina was suspended because of stormy weather with South Carolina ahead 8-5 and coming to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The game will be resumed at 2:30 p.m. today at Boshamer Stadium. North Carolina leads the best-of-3 series 1-0. If South Carolina forces a deciding game, it will begin at 7 p.m.

The order to clear the stands came at 9:27 p.m. as lightning flashed north of the stadium. By that point, in the middle of the seventh, North Carolina had halved the 8-2 deficit it faced after South Carolina scored four runs in the fourth.

Justin Smoak hit an RBI double in the first and a solo homer in the third to help the Gamecocks grab an early six-run lead for the second night in a row. But North Carolina, which scored nine straight runs to win Friday, drew within 8-5 on Tim Federowicz's two-run single in the seventh after chasing starter Arik Hempy.

Hempy, a Raleigh native, allowed five runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. North Carolina freshman starter Alex White struggled, allowing an RBI single and solo home run by Justin Smoak as the Gamecocks bolted to an 8-2 lead in the fourth inning.

OKLAHOMA STATE 3, LOUISVILLE 2: Keanon Simon's RBI single in the top of the 12th gave the Cowboys (42-20) a win at Louisville (45-22) and forced a third game in the best-of-3 series. The final game will be at 4 p.m. today .

Oklahoma State (42-20) has been to 19 College World Series and Louisville (45-22) has never been to a CWS.

UC IRVINE 1, WICHITA STATE 0: Right-hander Scott Gorgen shut out host Wichita State (53-21) in the opening game of the NCAA super regional. The Anteaters (44-15-1) need one more victory to advance to the CWS for the first time. Gorgen allowed eight hits, struck out seven and walked three. He threw 141 pitches.

UC Irvine scored in the eighth when Sean Madigan hit a pitch off Wichita State closer Noah Krol's leg. It bounced away, allowing the runner to score from third. Wichita State left the bases loaded in the sixth and had a runner who was caught stealing.

RICE 5, TEXAS A&M 2: The No. 1-ranked Owls (54-12) clinched a berth in the CWS with the series sweep against the visiting Aggies (48-19). Rice never trailed and scored one run each in the first, third, fourth, seventh and eighth. Matt Langwell (8-1) earned the victory and Cole St. Clair his eighth save.

CAL STATE FULLERTON 12, UCLA 2: The Titans (37-23) scored six runs in the first three innings and cruised in the opener at UCLA (33-27).

MICHIGAN AT OREGON STATE: The first game between reigning College World Series champion Oregon State and visiting Michigan was postponed because of rain.

The game was rescheduled for today at 4 p.m. The second game of the series is now scheduled slated for Monday and the third game Tuesday, with starting times to be announced.