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 Bama bound for Omaha Tide earn 15th straight win, College World Series berth
Posted: Tuesday June 08, 1999 02:02 PM
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Justin Smith, making his first start since being told in April he was out for the season, allowed only three runs over seven innings and Alabama advanced to the College World Series with a 13-5 victory over LSU in an NCAA super regional on Saturday. Alabama (51-14) extended its winning streak to 15 straight games, the longest in the nation. LSU, which lost 13-6 to the Crimson Tide on Friday, ended its season at 41-24-1 and failed to make the CWS for the first time in four years. Smith, who was diagnosed with a torn labium in his throwing shoulder in April, got a second opinion last month and learned he was only suffering from a strained muscle. He returned to the team two weeks ago, but made only four relief appearances. Smith (5-4) was put back into the starting rotation this week and marked his return by allowing 10 hits while striking out eight. He was on a 115-pitch count, but went two past his limit and left in the eighth after Brad Cresse hit his 117th pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer that made it 9-3. LSU's only other run against him came in the sixth when Smith mishandled Cedrick Harris' bunt, allowing Cresse to score from third. Smith, drafted in the 10th round Wednesday by the Florida Marlins, overshadowed LSU pitcher Kurt Ainsworth's rocky outing. Ainsworth (13-6) was taken by the San Francisco Giants as the 24th overall pick in Wednesday's draft, but was pounded by Alabama for the second time this season. He gave up two-run homers to Brent Boyd and Andy Phillips, and allowed a season-high eight runs and 13 hits. He also had four walks. After Sam Bozanich's RBI double in the seventh, Ainsworth left the game to jeers of "Overrated!" from the Alabama crowd. He had won seven straight games since Alabama beat him 10-3 in April. Phillips extended his hitting streak to a school-record 33 straight games with his fourth-inning homer. He needs to hit safely in just one more game to tie LSU's Todd Walker for the SEC record.
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