FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
OMAHA, Neb. – No. 3 Oregon State buried Louisville under a seven-run fourth inning and held on to win 11-4 the first elimination game of the 2013 Men’s College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
The Cardinals end their season at 51-14. The Beavers (51-12) advance to play the loser of Mississippi State/Indiana on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT.
The Beavers scored all seven fourth-inning runs on two outs. Max Gordon, Andy Peterson and Michael Conforto all singled to load the bases. Dylan Davis hit a grounder to the short stop and was called safe in a close play at first, driving in two. Louisville starter Jeff Thompson’s day was done. Reliever Cody Ege then walked Danny Hayes to reload the bases. Kavin Keyes sent a ball to short, which Sutton Whiting overthrew, plating two more runs. Ege then hit Ryan Barnes with the pitch to keep the bases full, and Louisville’s next reliever, Kyle Funkhouser, walked in the next run. Gordon followed up with his second base hit of the inning, driving in two more before Tyler Smith flew out to end the inning.
After scoring one in the fifth to avoid being shut out two games in a row, Louisville shortened the deficit to 10-4 with a three-run rally in the seventh. Zak Wasserman was hit by the pitch and pinch hitter Alex Chittenden walked before Adam Engel drove them both home with a double. Ty Young came up with a two-out single, which plated Engel, before Young was thrown out at second to end the inning.
Oregon State opened up the scoring in the third inning. Gordon was hit by the pitch to lead off the inning, and Tyler Smith drove him home with a double down the left field line. Peterson followed up with a bunt single. After the catcher missed a pop-up foul, Conforto walked to load the bases. With one out, Hayes hit a routine grounder. Second baseman Zach Lucas misplayed the flip to second, allowing two runs to score. Thompson then induced a fly out and a pop up to end Oregon State’s threat.
Thompson (11-2) took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings. Only three of those runs were earned – and Oregon State would score only one other earned run all day. Louisville committed four errors in the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, a double by Conforto drove in Peterson for Oregon State’s final run. Conforto, who is now 6-for-8 in the CWS, had two hits and one RBI on Monday. Davis and Gordon finished with two RBI each for the Beavers.
Oregon State starter Ben Wetzler (10-1) earned the win, allowing three runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
