Jun 9, 2008 6:16 pm US/Eastern
Canes To Meet Georgia In College World Series
Miami Will Join The Seminoles At Series In Omaha
CORAL GABLES (CBS4) ―
Going in to Sunday's game against Arizona, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team had been to the College World Series 22 times. At the end of the game, they were ready to make their 23rd trip, after beating Arizona 4-2 and advancing to Omaha.
Miami's first game in the College World Series is Saturday at 7pm against the Georgia Bulldogs who defeated North Carolina State.
The Canes will be joining the Seminoles, who secured their own berth earlier Sunday.
Miami's three runs in the first inning were all the Hurricanes (52-9) needed to win the final two games of the super regional series. Reliever Carlos Gutierrez pitched the final 1 1-3 innings for his 13th save of the season.
Arizona, which won the series opener Friday, stranded seven runners in scoring position.
The Wildcats (42-19) loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the eighth but Gutierrez sprinted off the mound, retrieved Rafael Valenzuela's chopper down the third base line and threw out Valenzuela for the final out.
Miami freshman left-hander Chris Hernandez, who started Friday's opener, entered with runners on first and third with two out and retired Jon Gaston on one pitch with a force out.
Gaston, who hit a game-winning three-run home run Friday, went hitless in four at bats.
Alonso's two-run homer in the top of the first off Arizona starter Eric Berger gave the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead. Miami scored earlier in the inning on Jemile Weeks' RBI double.
Garcia (7-3) allowed two runs, seven hits and struck out four.
Berger (8-4) settled down after the first, and allowed only one run and two hits through the next 6 2-3 innings. He was lifted with two out in the eighth.
The Wildcats responded to Miami's three first inning runs with Brad Glenn's run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning.
Mark Sobolewski's RBI groundout scored Weeks in the third for a 4-1 Hurricanes lead. Arizona's Bobby Coyle scored on Sobolewski's throwing error in the fourth.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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