College World Series: South Carolina Wins Second Straight Baseball Championship

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

South Carolina beat Florida 5-2 Tuesday night in Game 2 of the best-of-three College World Series Finals in Omaha to clinch its second straight national championship.

After winning Game 1 in 11 innings Monday night, the Gamecocks needed only 9 Tuesday.

South Carolina (55-14) got to work in the third inning, taking a 3-0 lead that they would not relinquish.

Trey Wingo's sacrifice fly gave South Carolina a 1-0 lead before more costly Florida fielding errors allowed Evan Marzilli and Jackie Bradley, Jr. to cross the plate for the defending national champions later in the inning to give the Gamecocks a 3-0 lead.

Florida (53-19) looked as if it might make a comeback in the next inning after Mike Zunino's single home run to left field, but the Gators would be unable to erase the deficit.

Peter Mooney's insurance home run in the sixth gave South Carolina a 4-1 lead and all but erased any hope for a Florida comeback.

Josh Adams' RBI single in the eighth made it 4-2, but the Gamecocks would increase their lead to three again later in the inning off Wingo's RBI single.

South Carolina pitcher Michael Roth, called the team's anchor by several teammates, struck out 6 Gators in 7.2 innings in the championship-clinching win.

"We battled, that's all I can say," said Roth. "We’re just a bunch of Average Joes. We love each other and love the game."

For much more from Tucker Sargent, Sportswriter Profile here or follow him on Twitter below.

Follow @TuckSargent

Florida Gators Beat Vanderbilt 6-4, Clinch Spot in 2011 CWS Finals

Vanderbilt's Tony Kemp, bottom, is caught stealing by Florida first baseman Preston Tucker (25) following a rundown between first and second base in the third inning of an NCAA College World Series baseball game in Omaha, Neb., Friday, June 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Eric Francis) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The University of Florida baseball team has advanced to the 2011 College World Series Finals.

Florida (53-17) held on to beat Vanderbilt 6-4 in a CWS rematch between the two teams. The Gators beat the Commodores 3-1 on Tuesday.

But the win didn't come easy for the second-seeded Gators, who will play either South Carolina or Virginia in next week's best-of-three finals series.

Vanderbilt (54-12) started the scoring in the first inning when Aaron Westlake homered to right field.

The Gators tied the game at one in the third on Preston Tucker's sacrifice ground-out.

Florida would add three more runs to its lead in the fourth inning.

Josh Adams and Tyler Thompson came across the plate on Nolan Fontana's RBI single.

Daniel Pigot scored on a fielder's choice later in the inning to make the score 4-1.

Vanderbilt mounted a comeback in the seventh and eighth innings, tying the game at four.

Mike Yastrzemski scored off Connor Harrell's RBI single to make the score 4-2 before Florida's bullpen almost cost the Gators a berth in the finals.

With the bases loaded, Vanderbilt's Tony Kemp walked to make the score 4-3.

In the eighth inning with the bases again loaded, Florida's Austin Maddox hit batter Conrag Greggor to force the tying run.

But the Gators bounced back in the bottom of the eighth thanks to Tucker's RBI single that drove in Pigott to regain the lead.

Cody Dent added another run later in the inning thanks to a wild pitch to close out the scoring.

The first game of the 2011 College World Series best-of-three finals airs Monday night at 8 ET on ESPN.

To follow Tucker Sargent on Twitter, click below.

Follow @TuckSargent

College World Series: Vanderbilt Eliminates North Carolina with 5-1 Win

Photo Courtesy AP Photo / Nati Harnik

The Vanderbilt baseball team continued its dream season Wednesday night by eliminating North Carolina with a 5-1 win to set up a match with SEC foe Florida on Friday.

Competing in the program's first-ever College World Series, Vanderbilt (54-11) beat North Carolina (51-16) for the second time in the 2011 edition of the CWS to advance.

The Commodores dropped the Tar Heels to the loser's bracket in the opening game in Omaha last week with a 7-3 victory, and a second loss for the Tar Heels eliminated them Wednesday night in front of a large crowd at TD Ameritrade Park.

As if North Carolina's exit wasn't hard enough to swallow for the Carolina Blue-clad fanbase, a few post-elimination statistics provided insult to injury.

The Tar Heels, whom many thought would make a run to the championship series, left 34 runners on base in its three CWS games and were just 7-39 with runners in scoring position.

Vanderbilt got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first inning when Tony Kemp tripled to deep right center.

Anthony Gomez's sacrifice pop-fly sent Kemp home to give the Commodores a 1-0 lead.

Mike Yastrzemski singled to right center in the bottom of the third and stole second base before Conrad Gregor walked, leaving runners at first and second.

Connor Harrell then belted a three-run homer to left field to give Vanderbilt a 4-0 lead.

The Commodores' Curt Casali brought the crowd from Nashville to its feet with a single home run to left field in the next inning to close out Vanderbilt's scoring.

Despite threatening a comeback in the fifth inning, North Carolina managed just one run, and it would be its only run all night.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fifth, senior Tar Heel Ben Bunting grounded out to first, but not before freshman Brian Holberton tagged and scored from third to wipe the goose egg off the scoreboard for the Tar Heels.

Vandy's Taylor Hill (6-1) picked up the win, while North Carolina's Greg Holt (7-2), who left the game in the third inning after Casali's home run made it 5-0, took home the loss.

The Commodores face SEC foe Florida (52-17) Friday afternoon for the second time in this year's CWS, hoping to avenge a 3-1 loss to the Gators yesterday.

Vanderbilt must beat Florida twice to advance to next week's best-of-three finals series. -TS