June 19, 2006

College World Series Capsules

College World Series Schedule and Recaps

Rice remains unbeaten

In Omaha, Neb., closer turned starter Cole St. Clair tossed five splendid innings, and new-found closer Bryce Cox worked out of a ninth-inning jam as Rice stayed unbeaten by edging Miami 3-2 at the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium Monday night.

St. Clair (7-2) struck out six and walked two, allowing only three hits and one unearned run in five innings in only his second career start.

Cox allowed one-out singles to Jemile Weeks (4 for 5, run) and Tommy Giles (2 for 4) in the ninth. With runners on first and third, Cox struck out Jon Jay on a check swing, a call by third-base umpire Joe Burleson that got Hurricanes coach Jim Morris ejected. Cox then struck out Danny Valencia on a slider to send the Owls (57-11) to a date Wednesday against the winner of Miami (42-23) and Oregon State.

Rice staked St. Clair to a 2-0 lead in the first when Tyler Henley (2 for 4) ripped the third pitch of the game for a homer. Joe Savery added a sacrifice fly off Danny Gil (4-3), another reliever turned starter. Kenny Ford later added a RBI grounder in the fourth for the Owls’ only other run.

The Hurricanes took advantage of a pair of errors in the third to cut their deficit to 2-1. After Jay drove in a run with a grounder to second, St. Clair got Valencia to bounce into a double play to end the inning. Miami closed to 3-2 in the seventh when Valencia drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, but Cox, who tossed the final 2.2 innings, got Dennis Raben to ground out to end the inning.