Asu Reaches Title Game Bloomquist’S Five-Hit Barrage Helps Oust Long Beach State

Willie Bloomquist went 5 for 6 and drove in four runs Wednesday night as Arizona State, scoring in all but one inning, beat Long Beach State 14-4 to advance to the championship game of the College World Series.

Richy Leon (4-0) pitched six innings, striking out six, and Aaron Kramer finished up as the Sun Devils reached the title game for the first time since 1988.

Two-time defending champion LSU can advance to the title game with a victory over Southern Cal today. A USC victory would force a second game Friday, with the winner taking on Arizona State.

Arizona State (41-22) had 18 hits, including solo homers by Bloomquist, Mikel Moreno and Andrew Beinbrink.

The Sun Devils, who are 10-1 when Leon starts, also were helped by some sloppy play by Long Beach State (43-23-1). The 49ers threw a CWS-record six wild pitches and committed four errors. Shortstop Justin Hall had two of the errors, including a dropped infield pop fly that allowed two Arizona State runs in the second inning.

Bloomquist’s bases-loaded single in the third made it 6-0 and finished Leuenberger.

Bloomquist added a solo homer in the seventh and a run-scoring single in the ninth.

Washington State University slugger Casey Kelley and pitcher Ole Vigeland were chosen Tuesday in the major league draft.

Kelley, from Ellensburg, went to the Anaheim Angels in the 18th round after slugging a Pac-10 North record 25 home runs. Texas picked Vigeland, a converted infielder from Redmond, Wash., who pitched only 15 innings this spring, in the 15th round.