Tide Rips Miami For All-Sec Final

College World Series

The College World Series championship game became an all-SEC encounter when Alabama defeated Miami for the second straight day.

“We had joked with each other, with the LSU players this season, that we would see each other in the championship game of the College World Series,” said Matt Frick, who hit a three-run homer in the Crimson Tide’s 8-2 victory Friday. “It’s nice to see the two best teams playing for the championship.”

Defending champion Louisiana State and Alabama, seeking its first NCAA baseball title, are each 56-13. The Tide won 3 of 5 games against the Tigers during the final two weeks of the season, including 28-2 on May 10, the worst loss in LSU history.

For the first time, the top two seeds advanced to the CWS final.

“I think that helps when you know the team,” Alabama coach Jim Wells said. “We certainly won’t have to spend all night going over scouting reports.”

LSU coach Skip Bertman said before the game he was not looking forward to another game with the Tide.

“We haven’t had a lot of success with Alabama,” he said. “The one thing that they have on us is that they beat us soundly.”

The Tide, in the final for the first time since 1983, scored eight runs in the third against Miami (51-18), which lost last year’s final 9-8. The Hurricanes, who beat Alabama 6-1 Monday before losing 8-6 Thursday, lost two games to the same team in the CWS for the third time in four years.

“It’s hard to talk about the end of another season like this,” Miami coach Jim Morris said. “Alabama has a great ballclub. I’ve said that many times.”

Mark Peer capped the eight-run inning with a two-run homer off J.D. Arteaga (11-4).

Peter Fisher (10-3) allowed three hits in eight shutout innings for Alabama, striking out two and walking three. Doug Hurst pitched the ninth.

“Pete Fisher saved his best for last,” Wells said. “It’s probably the best he has pitched all year.”

Robbie Tucker, David Tidwell and Joe Caruso opened the third with consecutive singles, and Andy Phillips’ grounder was misplayed for a runscoring error by third baseman Patrick Burrell.

Dustan Mohr followed with a come-backer that knocked off Arteaga’s glove for a single, making it 2-0. G.W. Kweller hit an RBI grounder and Frick followed with his 16th homer for a 6-0 lead.

Nate Duncan tripled to the right-field corner, where Jason Michaels knocked the ball around on the grass before fielding it. Peer then homered just inside the right-field foul pole, his fourth.

Arteaga, who set a CWS record with his seventh career start, was tagged for eight runs and eight hits in three innings. Eddy Reyes followed with four hitless innings, and Robbie Morrison finished.