Miscues Send Bruins Packing

College World Series

Mississippi State scored four runs in the seventh inning without hitting a ball out of the infield and beat UCLA 7-5 Monday night in an elimination game of the College World Series.

The Bulldogs (47-20) advanced to tonight’s elimination game against top-seeded Alabama, which lost 6-1 to Miami Monday. UCLA (45-21-1) was eliminated in two games in its first CWS appearance since 1967.

UCLA was leading 4-3 in the seventh when Bruins miscues set up the Bulldogs’ big inning.

Adam Piatt walked and Barry Patton reached on a throwing error by first baseman Brett Nista. Brian Wiese then hit a ground ball on which shortstop Troy Glaus made a sliding stop, but second baseman Nick Theodorou failed to cover second and there were runners on first and second as the tying run scored.

Travis Chapman walked to load the bases and Brooks Bryan followed with a line drive that hit UCLA pitcher Rob Henkel (3-3) in the left shoulder. Henkel stood dazed as the ball fell in the infield and Patton scored to make it 5-4.

Brad Freeman followed with a fielder’s choice that scored Wiese and Chapman scored when Glaus slipped while trying to field Rusty Thoms’ two-out hit over second base. Three of the runs were unearned.

Mississippi State took a 1-0 lead in the second on a double by Patton and a single by Wiese. An error by Theodorou and a hit batsman loaded the bases and Bryan’s groundout made it 2-0.

The Bruins tied it in the third on a two-out, two-run single by Eric Byrnes. They went ahead 3-2 in the fourth on a single by Peter Zamora, a double by Theodorou and wild pitch by Bulldogs starter Chris Reinike.

The Bulldogs tied it 3-3 in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Freeman, but UCLA went back ahead in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Byrnes, his third RBI of the game.

Glaus’ solo homer in the ninth brought UCLA within 7-5.

Mandy Jacomino went 4 for 4 with a three-run homer in Miami’s win.