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News Nuggets, 06.26.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Longhorns get the jump in championship round

OMAHA — It turned out Adrian Alaniz's finger was fine.

Texas' pitching plans for Game 1 of the College World Series championship round hinged on a blister on the middle finger of Alaniz's right hand.

After he combined with J. Brent Cox on a four-hitter in the Longhorns' 4-2 victory over Florida on Saturday night, he laughed when asked about it.

``For one thing, the blister was not a factor. It healed over throughout the week and didn't bother me at all,'' Alaniz said.

The Longhorns (55-16), who won the last of their five national titles in 2002, can clinch the championship with another win over the Gators (48-22) on Sunday. If necessary, Game 3 of the series would be Monday.

Alaniz (8-3), whose availability for the game wasn't known until Saturday, turned in his second strong outing in the CWS. He had allowed one run in seven innings of a 5-1 win over Baylor in the Longhorns' opener a week ago.

``Already having that Baylor game under my belt gave me a lot of confidence,'' Alaniz said. ``I wasn't even nervous. With the big crowd, that's kind of unusual. But I was so zoned in that it was like tunnel vision.''

Alaniz and Cox got offensive support from Will Crouch and David Maroul, who both homered.

Alaniz turned the game over to Cox in the eighth with runners on first and second. Then the Longhorns had to withstand some anxious moments.

Cox, making his CWS-record 12th appearance, struck out Jeff Corsaletti and Adam Davis before Matt LaPorta's two-run single pulled the Gators within 4-2. Cox got out of the jam after walking the bases loaded by striking out Brian Leclerc.

``He's one of the best closers in the country, and I thought we were going to get to him,'' LaPorta said. ``It just didn't go our way.''

Cox struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 18th save, which leads the nation.

``I just knew that I had to get it done one way or another,'' Cox said. ``The strikeouts were a blessing. I was looking for groundball outs any way I could. Luckily it went my way.''

Texas coach Augie Garrido said he was impressed with Cox's response to his rocky eighth inning.

``He did a remarkable job coming out ready to pitch the next inning and not taking any of the negatives he faced in the first inning he pitched,'' Garrido said. ``That, to me, was the most remarkable thing of the night.''

The Longhorns, not known for their power, got their 53rd and 54th homers in 71 games.

Maroul's two-run homer in the fourth put the Longhorns up 4-0 against a Florida team that was short of pitching options.

Gators coach Pat McMahon started freshman left-hander Stephen Locke (5-2), who hadn't appeared since a May 25 regular-season game against Arkansas.

The Gators were put in their predicament after Alan Horne injured his left hamstring in Wednesday's game against Arizona State. That forced starter Tommy Boss to pitch 5 2-3 innings of relief, and he couldn't come back on short rest.

``Stephen was the guy we wanted on the mound and there are no second thoughts about it,'' McMahon said. ``The way things turned out, we were one pitch or one swing from the whole game being changed.''

Connor Falkenbach relieved Locke in the fifth, and pitched 3 2-3 shutout innings before giving way to Mike Pete.

Alaniz, who was charged with Florida's two runs, struck out five and walked four.

The Longhorns opened the scoring in the first. Locke walked leadoff hitter Nick Peoples, and he advanced on a sacrifice and groundout before Crouch hit an RBI double over center fielder Corsaletti.

Crouch made it 2-0 in the third, lining a shot over the left-field fence for his seventh home run of the year.

Crouch, who went 3-for-4, is 8-for-16 in four CWS games.

``I'm feeling great,'' he said. ``I'm seeing the ball well. Hitting is all about confidence. I'm staying relaxed.''

It was 4-0 in the fourth after Chance Wheeless singled and Maroul hit a towering home run to left. It was Maroul's 10th homer of the season.

``Going into the game, I felt confident,'' Locke said. ``You just have to give their guys credit. I made a couple mistakes and they capitalized.''

McMahon said the mini rally in the eighth inning left him with a good feeling.

``They competed their hearts out, and we have an opportunity to come back and compete tomorrow, and by gosh we will,'' he said.

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.

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