Roundup: Kent State clinches first CWS berth

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Jimmy Rider drove in the winning run with a shallow pop fly that landed just inside the left-field foul line in the bottom of the ninth, lifting Kent State to a 3-2 win over Oregon on Monday night and sending the Golden Flashes to their first College World Series.

Rider's hit off Oregon closer Jimmie Sherfy fell just out of the reach of shortstop J.J. Altobelli and left fielder Brett Thomas, who appeared to lose track of the ball when it was hit.

Derek Toadvine scored from second base before Thomas could attempt a throw, making Kent State (46-18) the first team from the Mid-American Conference since Eastern Michigan in 1976 to advance past the NCAA super regional for a trip to Omaha.

"It's really hard to find words to describe what this means for Kent State and the Mid-American Conference to make it to the College World Series,'' Kent State coach Scott Stricklin. "I'm just overcome.''

Oregon was trying to end an even longer drought, just missing its first CWS appearance since 1954.

"J.J. and I both gave it our all,'' Thomas said of Rider's fair ball. "Bet he couldn't hit that same spot if we gave him 100 tries.''

The play happened so quickly that most of the Ducks remained at their positions on the field as the Kent State dugout and bullpen emptied to join a pile of players near home plate.

"Everyone was just in shock,'' Rider said. "When the ball first went into the air, I'm sure everyone thought it was an out, but when it landed, we just went crazy.''

The super regional series featured three one-run games, with the Golden Flashes winning 7-6 on Saturday and the Ducks rallying for three runs in the seventh of a 3-2 victory Sunday to extend the series.

A similar situation seemed to be unfolding Monday.

Trailing 2-0, the Ducks (46-19) tied it in the eighth inning on a single through a hole in the right side of the infield by Ryon Healy that scored Altobelli and Aaron Payne.

Healy's hit was just the fourth - and last - hit of the game for Oregon.

"It felt like Sunday night all over again,'' Stricklin said. "You just hope you can get through it.''

Reliever Brian Clark made sure they did, recording five straight outs for the win after allowing Healy's single.

"We're devastated,'' said Oregon coach George Horton, who had the Ducks on the edge of a College World Series berth just four years after the program returned from a 26-year hiatus.

Kent State went ahead early, scoring two runs on six hits against Oregon starter Jeff Gold, who didn't make it out of the second inning.

The Golden Flashes scored once in the first on a lined single by T.J. Sutton and then again in the second on a bases-loaded double-play grounder by Evan Campbell.

Kent State was shut down by the Ducks' bullpen the rest of the game, getting just one more hit off four relievers.

But Oregon could never get to Kent State starter Tyler Skulina, a 6-foot-6 right-hander who allowed just a pair of singles in his 5 2-3 innings.

South Carolina 5, Oklahoma 1

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina is headed back to the College World Series, beating Oklahoma 5-1 Monday for its 21st straight NCAA tournament win.

The two-time defending champion Gamecocks wrapped up the super regional series for their third straight trip to Omaha and 11th CWS appearance overall.

Should South Carolina (45-17) again prevail, it would join the powerhouse program of Southern Cal as the only schools with more than two consecutive CWS titles. The Trojans hold the record with five straight crowns from 1970-74.

The game was suspended Sunday because of heavy rain. Once things resumed, South Carolina quickly took control to put away the Sooners (42-25).

Gamecocks closer Matt Price got catcher Dylan Neal on a check-swing, called third strike to set off the latest celebration at Carolina Stadium.

The Gamecocks took advantage of two Oklahoma mistakes to build a 2-0 lead in the seventh. Chase Vergason's two-run double put things away an inning later for a 5-1 lead.

South Carolina opens CWS play Saturday against Florida, the tournament's No. 1 seed and the Gamecocks' Southeastern Conference rival. The Gators were also the club that fell to the Gamecocks in the CWS championship series last summer.

Arkansas 1, Baylor 0

WACO, Texas -- Jake Wise drove in a run with a two-out single in the top of the 10th inning and Arkansas advanced to the College World Series with a 1-0 victory over Baylor in the deciding game of their super regional on Monday night.

Wise, a sophomore catcher who had entered the game as a defensive replacement, grounded a ball into left field out of the reach of diving shortstop Steve DalPorto.

It will be the seventh CWS appearance for the Razorbacks (44-20), who play Kent State on Saturday. Arkansas clinched the final available spot in Omaha, where it will join fellow SEC teams Florida and South Carolina.

Colby Suggs (7-0), the fifth Arkansas pitcher in the combined five-hitter, struck out two and walked two while allowing one hit over the last two innings. The hard-throwing sophomore has gotten all of his victories pitching in relief.

Dillon Newman (4-4) pitched the 10th for the Bears after senior starter Tyler Bremer struck out eight and allowed three hits in scoreless innings, the longest outing of his career.

Brian Anderson of the Razorbacks led off the 10th with a single to left, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bo Bigham. Matt Vinson struck out before Wise's hit drove home Anderson.

Baylor (49-17) had two outs in the 10th before Big 12 Player of the Year Josh Ludy, who had 16 home runs, walked for the fourth consecutive time. Cleanup hitter Max Muncy, who grounded into a double play in the eighth, followed with a single to left before Dan Evatt struck out to end the game.

It was the third time this season Baylor was shut out.

After scoring three runs in the fifth inning of Game 2 to take a 4-3 lead, Baylor didn't score again over the final 14 innings in the series. The Razorbacks forced the deciding game with a 5-4 victory Sunday after consecutive batters were hit by pitches with the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Baylor had the leadoff batter on base six times Monday night, including the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Bremer didn't throw more than 10 pitches in an inning until the sixth, when he threw 12.

After allowing a one-out double in the first, Bremer retired 16 consecutive batters until Tim Carter's two-out single in the sixth. Newman had thrown five scoreless innings in relief to beat Dallas Baptist a week earlier to clinch the Waco Regional to get into the super regional.

Razorbacks starter Randall Fant struck out five and allowed two hits over four innings. Trent Daniel, the fourth pitcher, had 1 1-3 hitless innings before giving way to Suggs.

Baylor had the bases loaded in the fourth against Fant before Lawton Langford struck out. The Bears had the bases loaded again in the fifth against reliever Nolan Sanburn after three walks before Muncy grounded out.

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