Saturday's NCAA Baseball Championship Roundup

J.R. Crowel

Tulane advanced to the regional final in Oxford, Miss, with a 7-0 win over Western Kentucky. J.R. Crowel tossed the complete-game shutout, striking out seven to lead the Green Wave. East Carolina opened its NCAA with an 8-2 vcitory over Stony Brook, blowing open a close game with a five-run bottom-of-the-ninth. Southern Miss dropped a 6-2 decision at LSU and then saw its season end with a 7-3 loss to College of Charleston at the Baton Rouge Regional. TCU stayed alive with a 12-8 victory over Youngstown State at the Austin Regional before being eliminated by Oral Roberts on Saturday night, 10-1.


TULANE 7, WESTERN KENTUCKY 0
Sophomore southpaw J.R. Crowel fanned seven in a complete-game effort, junior shortstop Tommy Manzella went 3-for-4 and sophomore right fielder Brian Bogusevic hammered a three-run homer as the Tulane University baseball team blanked fourth-seeded Western Kentucky, 7-0, Saturday afternoon in the winner's bracket of the 2004 NCAA Oxford Regional at Swayze Field.

With the win, Tulane improves to 40-19 on the year - the eighth 40-win season by the Green Wave under Jones, who is in his 11th season in Olive and Blue - and the squad advances to the Regional Championship Game Sunday at 1 p.m. vs. Washington/Western Kentucky matchup. Tulane needs just one win in two chances Sunday to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals which begin on Friday, June 11.

The Green Wave plated three runs in the bottom of the first, and that was all Crowel would need as the crafty lefty faced just four more than the minimum for the contest. The shutout was the eighth of the season for Tulane, which ties for second-most in school history, and marks the first time since a 1-0 victory over North Carolina State in the 1988 NCAA East Regional in Gainesville, Fla., that the squad recorded a shutout in postseason play.

"We played a complete game today," head coach Rick Jones said. "Timely hits really set the tone for us in the first inning. J.R. Crowel was outstanding with great command of his pitches, especially his breaking ball. That took him from being a good pitcher to an outstanding pitcher."

Eight of the nine Green Wave batters posted at least one hit, including a pair of hits by sophomore centerfielder Nathan Southard, who drove in a run, tallied three putouts and had an outfield assist. No hit, however, was bigger than Bogusevic's two-out, three-run blast in the seventh that capped a four-run frame and clinched the game for Tulane.

After giving up a leadoff single to WKU centerfielder Matt Ransdell to open the game, Crowel retired the next three batters he faced to get out of the inning unscathed. In the home half of the frame, Southard grounded to short, but Manzella and junior left fielder Matt Barket singled and Bogusevic drew a walk to load the bases with only one away.

Junior catcher Greg Dini put the Green Wave on the board with a sacrifice fly to center, but Tulane was not done as freshman designated hitter Mark Hamilton hit an RBI-single through the right side of the infield to plate Barket, and junior first baseman Wes Swackhamer followed with a run-scoring base knock of his own to give the home team a 3-0 advantage.

The Hilltoppers had a chance to get on the board in the top of the seventh as left fielder Dominic Rio ripped a one-out double to right and advanced to third on a groundout by second baseman Matt Johnston, but Crowel bounced back to strike out right fielder Antone Towns to get out of the inning with the shutout intact.

The Green Wave made the missed opportunity hurt in the bottom of the frame as junior second baseman Joe Holland hit a one-out double before Southard ripped an RBI-single to center to make it 4-0. Manzella followed with a single to chase Western Kentucky starter Daniel Faulkner from the game, and it looked as if the Hilltoppers would get out of the stanza without any more damage done as reliever Michael Shope struck out the first man he faced. Bogusevic had other ideas, however, as the big lefty hammered a first-pitch offering over the wall in right to account for the final score.

The game, however, belonged to Crowel who recorded his third complete-game victory of the season and first shutout of 2004. He scattered four hits on the afternoon, walked just a pair, and only allowed two Hilltoppers to get as far as second base to improve to 8-2. Faulkner did not fare as well as the junior right-hander gave up six earned runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out a pair to fall to 8-6 on the season.

Tulane will send senior right-hander Cory Hahn to the mound in the championship game. A second-team All-Conference USA honoree, Hahn enters the contest 8-2 on the year with a 4.30 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 81.2 innings of work.

Tulane will appear in a regional championship game for the fourth time in school history and for the first time since the 2001 New Orleans Regional when the Green Wave defeated Oklahoma State, 9-8, to advance to the Super Regional.

EAST CAROLINA 8, STONY BROOK 2
East Carolina's offense waited until the eighth inning to show up for its NCAA regional game against Stony Brook.

Good thing Shane Matthews didn't need much help.

The freshman hurler allowed two runs in eight innings Saturday, outdueling Jon Lewis to lift the Pirates past the Seawolves 8-2.

John Poppert had two RBIs for the Pirates (49-11), who advanced to the winner's bracket and will face North Carolina-Wilmington on Sunday. The Seahawks beat Tennessee 8-5 on Saturday.

The Seawolves (29-26) will face Tennessee in an elimination game Sunday.

Matthews allowed just six hits and struck out seven batters, throwing 106 pitches.

''Shane went out there and make the coaching staff look pretty smart by naming him the starter,'' Pirates coach Randy Mazey said. ''He threw a lot of fastballs down on the knees and got some groundballs when we needed them.''

The Seawolves stayed right with the top-seeded Pirates much of the way thanks to Lewis, who matched Matthews pitch-for-pitch in a game that featured few offensive sparks.

The Pirates struggled to get much going offensively, managing three runs and four hits through the first seven innings against Lewis.

Yet as good as Lewis was for Stony Brook, Matthews was even better for the Pirates. After allowing an RBI single by Isidro Fortuna in the top of the third inning for the game's first run, Matthews (7-1) retired 15 of 18 batters before being pulled in the top of the ninth.

''I had pretty much one pitch, and that was a fastball,'' Matthews said. ''At first I wasn't locating it well, and kind of settled down and started locating. That proceeded to get ground balls.''

He also got help from his defense, which committed no errors and made a couple of big plays _ including a diving stop from third baseman Mark Minicozzi, robbing Matt Devins of a sure base hit to left field in the eighth.

''They played an extremely clean game,'' Stony Brook coach Matt Senk said. ''Their defense was probably the best defensive infield performance we've seen this year and maybe in a long time.''

Trailing 1-0, the Pirates got a leadoff home run to left from Poppert and an RBI double from Ryan Norwood for a 2-1 lead in the third inning.

Then, the Pirates took advantage of an error by Stony Brook's Dave Mischo, who bobbled a grounder to first base and allowed Jamie Paige to score from third in the fifth inning for a 3-1 lead.

The Pirates finally knocked Lewis from the game in the eighth, getting a two-run single from Minicozzi for a 5-1 lead.

The Pirates went on to score three more runs _ two coming on an error and a wild pitch _ to seal it.

Stony Brook committed six errors. Lewis (7-7) allowed six runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings.

Lewis ''was pretty tough,'' Mazey said. ''He can pitch for any team in this tournament.''

The game was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to severe thunderstorms and heavy downpours that rolled through eastern North Carolina.

LSU 6, SOUTHERN MISS 2
Trailing 2-1 in the seventh inning, LSU scored four runs to take a 5-2 lead and eventually defeated Southern Miss, 6-2, today, in the winner's bracket game of the NCAA Tournament at Alex Box Stadium.

LSU's Nick Stavinoha doubled to right center to lead off the inning. Matt Liuzza drew a one-out walk before an Anthony DeWitt wild pitch advanced both runners a base. Clay Harris singled up the middle to plate both Stavinoha and Liuzza to give the Tigers a one-run lead. Will Harris doubled to left center to drive in Clay Harris to give LSU a 4-2 lead.After J.C. Holt walked, Blake Gill singled up the middle to plate Will Harris, giving the Tigers a 5-2 lead.

Anthony DeWitt (10-3) dropped his third decision of the season, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up five runs on six hits, walking two and striking out two. LSU's Nate Bumstead (10-3) pitched a complete-game, giving up two runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out six.

LSU (43-17) scored six runs on eight hits and committed an error, while Southern Miss (45-18) finished with two runs on eight hits.

Jarrett Hoffpauir led the Golden Eagles with two hits, including an RBI, and Marc Maddox hit his 15th home run of the season. Hoffpauir's two hits gives him 107 hits for the season, setting a new school record. He broke Michael Artman's record of 106 set in 1999. He also ran his school-record season-RBI total to 90.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 7, SOUTHERN MISS 3
College of Charleston's Chris Campbell went 4-for-4 at the plate, including a home run and drove in three runs, and Reid Prince pitched a complete-game, giving up three runs on nine hits and struck out eight to lead the Cougars to a 7-3 victory over Southern Miss, tonight, at Alex Box Stadium.

The Cougars (47-15) scored seven runs on 12 hits, while Southern Miss (45-19) scored three runs on nine hits and committed one error. The Golden Eagles season ends, while College of Charleston advances to play LSU in the championship round on Sunday at 1 p.m.

College of Charleston was led by Campbell's four hits and Kevin Bulger and Brian Hastings each had two hits. Byron Barber drove in two runs and Jess Easterling had an RBI.

Southern Miss was led by Marc Maddox, Jarrett Hoffpauir and Brad Willcutt, who finished with two hits each. Hoffpauir had two RBIs to lead the Golden Eagles and Maddox also finished with an RBI.

College of Charleston took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Campbell to score Brett Gardner. The Golden Eagles responded with two in the third inning to take the one-run lead. Hoffpauir had a two-RBI single through the left side to score Shepherd and Maddox. The Cougars tied the game on Campbell's solo homer over the left field wall.

The Cougars broke the game open in the fourth inning, scoring four runs to take a 6-2 lead. A two-RBI single to right center by Barber, a one-RBI single up the middle by Campbell and wild pitch scored Bulger to account for the runs.

Maddox's solo homer to left field in the fifth inning cut the Cougar lead by one, 6-3. College of Charleston increased its lead by one, 7-3, in the seventh inning on Jess Easterling RBI double down the left field line.

Mike Cashion (3-4) dropped his fourth decision of the year, pitching 3.l innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out three. Daniel Best scored three innings in relief, giving up two runs on five hits, walking one and striking out two. Austin Tubb closed out the game, pitching the final 1.2 innings, walking one and striking out one.

Hoffpauir increased his single-season hit record to 109 and his single-season RBI total to 92. The Golden Eagles nine hits give them 719 hits for the season, also a school record. The home run by Maddox gave the Golden Eagles their 90th home run of the season, second on the single-season list. The three RBIs by Southern Miss gave the Golden Eagles 456 for the season, also a single-season record.

TCU 12, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 8
The Horned Frogs stayed alive in the 2004 NCAA Regionals as they came back to defeat the Youngstown State Penguins, 12-8 at Disch-Falk Field in Austin. The win was their 39th of the season, setting a new mark in TCU's record book. The old record of 38 wins was set in 1994. Chris Neuman was 3-for-5 at the plate and drove in the winning runs with a home run in the sixth inning as the Frogs put up six runs to come back from a 7-3 deficit.

TCU dodged a bullet in the first inning as Youngstown State made a bid for an early run. With a runner on third base, Charles Schultz hit a deep fly ball to right field that appeared to plate Brandon Caipen with the first run of the game. A heads-up play on the infield erased the run as they realized the runner left early.

The Frogs carried the momentum into the second inning as they took advantage of some infield miscues by the Penguins. Austin Adams got the inning started with a double to left center. Shelby Ford moved Adams to third with a base hit and Neuman drove him in for the first run of the game. Ford and Neuman executed a double steal to get the Frogs second run of the game. An error by the third baseman allowed Neuman to score, giving the Frogs a 3-0 lead.

The Penguins tied the game in the bottom of the third inning. Jim Phillips hit a lead-off home run over the left field fence. After a quick out, the Penguins picked up two base hits and a walk to load the bases, ending Chase Perry's day. Andrew Allar came on and got Justin Banks to fly out to shallow center, but Adam Cox delivered a two-out base hit that tied the game.

Youngstown State broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth as they plated three runs on five hits. The first four batters reached base for the Penguins. Kendall Schlabach gave the Penguins the lead with a base knock and Caipen made it 5-3 before Ryan Weems was able to record an out. Another run would cross the plate before Robbie Findlay came on and stopped the bleeding, retiring the only two batters he faced in the inning.

The Frogs bats finally came alive in the sixth inning as they scored six runs on four hits. D.J. Pokluda ignited the inning by drawing a lead-off walk. Bo Cogbill drove in the first run of the inning with a base hit and Chad Huffman delivered a one-out double to get the Frogs within two, 7-5. Austin Adams tied the game with a double. Neuman untied the game with one swing of the bat as he slammed his 12th home run of the season over the right field fence. After six, the Frogs led 9-7.

The Penguins would pick up another run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Frogs responded, scoring three times in the eighth. Kyle Dahlberg singled home two runs and Ramon Moses drew a bases loaded walk to account for the final score, 12-8.

Findlay (6-1) pitched 5.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out four and walking one.

ORAL ROBERTS 10, TCU 1
The 2004 baseball season came to a close for the TCU Horned Frogs as the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles shut down the Frogs offense in an elimination game on Saturday night. Ramon Moses picked up two of the Frogs three hits in his final game in a Frog uniform. Clayton Jerome pitched six innings in his final start, giving up four runs, three earned. The Frogs wrap up their season with a 39-26 record.

Oral Roberts jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after the second inning. They picked up a run on two hits in the first inning on an RBI groundout by Matt VanDerBosch. A sacrifice fly by Nathan Griffin made it 2-0.

Clayton Jerome battled and kept the Frogs in the game, but they could never get the offense going. At one point, Golden Eagle starter Taylor McIntyre retired 11 straight before walking Kyle Dahlberg. Dahlberg was erased as D.J. Pokluda ground into an-inning ending double play.

The Golden Eagles stretched their lead in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Ricky Rivera. Another run would cross the plate on an error to make it a 4-0 game.

The Frogs scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. J.J. Estrada drew a lead-off walk and Moses hit a chopper over the third baseman's head. A deep fly-out off the bat of Bo Cogbill advanced both runners. A Chad Huffman groundout plated Estrada with the Frogs first run of the game. But once again the Frogs offense stalled out and they were unable to get any more runs.

The Eagles put the game out of reach in the next two innings as they scored six runs, two in the seventh and four in the eighth to take a commanding 10-1 lead.