Rallying Gators run out of gas Posted: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 4:52 pm By: By The Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Mike McGee hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the third inning and picked up the save after Florida made things interesting in the ninth, leading Florida State to an 8-5 victory in a College World Series elimination game Monday. The Seminoles (48-19) will play TCU in an elimination game Wednesday night. The Gators (47-17) lost for the fourth time in five meetings this season with their instate rival. Florida loaded the bases against Daniel Bennett and Preston Tucker’s double drove in three runs. McGee, who was playing left field, came on and gave up a single and hit a batter, loading the bases with one out. Shortstop Stephen Cardullo caught Mike Zunino’s line drive and flipped to second baseman Devon Travis for a game-ending double play. It was McGee’s 13th save. McGee’s team-leading 16th homer broke a 1-1 tie in the third. The Seminoles got home runs from Tyler Holt and Cardullo. Brian Busch (6-2) went 51⁄3 innings and held the Gators to two runs and two hits. Florida starter Hudson Randall (8-4) went 22⁄3 innings, allowing four runs and four hits. Clemson 6, Arizona St. 3 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Casey Harman pitched six strong for Clemson, which handed top-seeded Arizona State’s Seth Blair his first loss of the season in an opening-round game. The Tigers tagged Blair (12-1) for five runs and seven hits with five walks in 41⁄3 innings to advance to a winner’s bracket game against Oklahoma today. The Sun Devils (53-8) meet South Carolina in an elimination game today. Clemson (44-23) came into the CWS averaging 11 runs and 15 hits in its last five games, and finished with 14 singles off Blair and three relievers. Blair walked four of the first 12 batters he faced. He left in the fifth inning after John Hinson’s RBI single put the Tigers up 3-1. Harman (8-3) was relieved by Alex Frederick after ASU loaded the bases in the seventh. Drew Maggi’s RBI groundout cut Clemson’s lead to 6-3, but the threat ended when Zack MacPhee struck out. Frederick earned his third save. UCLA 6, TCU 3 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gerrit Cole struck out 13 and carried a one-hitter into the seventh inning, and Cody Regis and Jeff Gelalich homered to lead UCLA. The win gives UCLA control of Bracket 1 and three days off. The Horned Frogs will play Florida State in an elimination game Wednesday, with the winner meeting the Bruins on Friday. The Bruins (50-14) went ahead 5-0 in the third inning on Regis and Gelalich’s home runs against TCU starter Kyle Winkler (12-2). Regis’ two-run homer was his ninth of the season, with all coming since May 7. Two batters later, Gelalich followed with his second homer. The Horned Frogs (52-13), who came into the game hitting a CWS-best .341, scored three runs on four hits in the seventh inning off Cole (11-3). The runs all scored on a bases loaded triple by Taylor Featherston. Cole pitched a scoreless eighth before turning the game over to Dan Klein, who earned his 10th save. Cole allowed five hits. None |