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News Nuggets, 06.20.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

CWS: ASU ousts Vols, Gators chomp Huskers

FLORIDA 7, NEBRASKA 4

OMAHA — Florida won its seventh straight game and moved within a win of the championship round of the College World Series with a 7-4 victory Sunday night over Nebraska that sent the hometown favorites into an elimination game.

Adam Davis homered and Jeff Corsaletti tied a CWS record with three doubles for the Gators (47-20), who snapped the Cornhuskers' 11-game winning streak.

Florida will take its longest winning streak of the season into Wednesday's game against the winner of Tuesday's matchup between the Cornhuskers (57-14) and Arizona State.

Arizona State eliminated Tennessee with a come-from-behind 4-2 victory in Sunday's first game.

Tommy Boss, who had complete-game victories for the Gators in the regionals and super regionals, left with two out in the fifth after Ryan Wehrle's two-run double pulled the Huskers to 7-4.

Sidearming reliever Darren O'Day (8-3) earned the win, limiting Nebraska to two singles the rest of the way and retiring the last seven batters.

Florida offset Nebraska's huge home-field advantage by scoring twice before Husker starter Johnny Dorn (12-2) had thrown his sixth pitch. Corsaletti opened the game with a double, and Davis followed with his 11th home run.

ARIZONA STATE 4, TENNESSEE 2

OMAHA — Arizona State staved off elimination again as Seth Dhaenens hit a go-ahead double in a three-run, eighth-inning rally and the Sun Devils eliminated Tennessee.

The Sun Devils (40-24) were on the verge of elimination last weekend in their super regional at defending national champion Cal State Fullerton. After losing the opener when a balk on an intentional walk allowed the winning run to score, ASU came back and won the next two games to earn a trip to Omaha.

Blanked for six innings by Tennessee freshman James Adkins and trailing 2-0, the Sun Devils got one back in the seventh and then took the lead in the eighth.

Dhaenens, who'd entered the game as a replacement in the sixth and made an error in the seventh, doubled to put the Sun Devils ahead. J.J. Sferra hit a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 cushion.

That finished Adkins (10-5) after 125 pitches. The left-hander gave up eight hits and four runs in 7 1-3 innings.

ASU reliever Pat Bresnehan (5-4), who pitched the final 3 1-3 innings after replacing starter Erik Averill, got the win, allowing just two hits.

Notebook: Weird Wave win over ECU stands out

OMAHA — Of all of Tulane's 56 wins, none ended as strangely as its March 20 victory over East Carolina.

The Green Wave was behind 6-4 going into the bottom of the eighth, and the game was going to be stopped at 4 p.m. because of the Pirates' travel plans.

Tulane scored four runs with two outs, and after a two-run double by Scott Madden gave the Wave the lead, the team came out of the dugout thinking the game was over.

The home-plate umpire, however, ruled that the inning had to be completed for the game to become official.

So right fielder Matt Barket went to bat and struck out intentionally.

Game over.

Tulane, the Omaha field's No. 1 seed, hopes to get to win number 57 Monday when it plays Texas at 7 p.m.

WWW.PARKING-AND-BEER.COM: With Rosenblatt Stadium located in the heart of a residential neighborhood in south Omaha, parking is always a problem during the College World Series.

Traffic jams are routine, and side streets are filled with homeowners waving fans into their yards to park, with some spots going for as much as $30.

Then there's the enterprising Aaron Kinloch, who advertised 20 parking spots on the Internet auction site eBay.

The spots are in a gravel lot behind the Stadium View memorabilia and souvenir shop — $25 per day for cars, $200 for three days for mobile homes. It's the closest parking location outside the stadium lot.

``Just a baseball throw away,'' Kinloch said.

Fans from Florida, California and Texas who make annual treks to the series gobbled up the spots within a few days, Kinloch said. Many are older couples who like the convenience of not having to worry about finding a place to park.

``They can come and go when they want. They can call and say they'll be an hour late,'' Kinloch said. ``If you have a prepaid spot, no problem. It makes it easier for the customer, and it makes it easier for Tom.''

That's Tom Stratman, who has nursed numerous sunburns the last 14 years from standing on the street selling the same parking spots. Now he hangs out under a tree near the lot entrance and waits for the prepaid customers to come.

``I haven't had to fight with the cops or the competition, and I haven't had to hold my sign yet,'' Stratman said. ``I get to sit in the shade and take it easy.''

Kinloch said no one is getting rich from the parking plan. Proceeds pay for the free food and beer that owner Greg Pivovar makes available to people who shop at the store.

A sign proudly proclaims: ``16,000 beers given away since 1992.''

SERIES SIDESPLITTER: Arizona State freshman pitcher Seth Garrison underwent an emergency appendectomy Sunday morning at an Omaha hospital.

Garrison grew up in Omaha and played high school baseball at Coppel, TX, where he was a standout shortstop. The Sun Devils wanted him to concentrate on pitching and he appeared in 13 games this season with one start, compiling an 0-0 record with a save and a 5.50 ERA. In his last six appearances, Garrison had given up just one run. He didn't appear in the CWS.

The Sun Devils were keeping Garrison in mind during their game against Tennessee. His No. 17 jersey was hanging in the dugout.

SEEING GREEN: Texas coach Augie Garrido did a double-take when he saw what awaited the Longhorns at the CWS. They passed their first test on Saturday, beating Baylor for the first time in five tries. They play Tulane on Monday.

``When I first saw the bracket, I said, 'Oh, great. We've got a team we can't beat that we play first, and then we've got the No. 1 seed if we do. That's still my reaction. That's a lot of green, man.''

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:25 PM