Wildcats prepare for rubber match with No. 1 Miami at CWS

Special to the Green Valley News

CORAL GABLES, Fla.— Four different players hit home runs as Miami beat Arizona 14-10 and evened their Super Regional series Saturday night. Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal each hit three-run homers and Mark Sobolewski hit a go-ahead solo home run as the Hurricanes (51-9) rallied from an early four-run deficit. Haggerty also homered for Miami.

Sobolewski's leadoff homer off Arizona reliever Mike Colla (4-3) in the sixth put Miami ahead 8-7. Grandal hit a three-run home later in the inning.

The Hurricanes increased their lead 12-7 on Haggerty's bases-loaded walk in the seventh. Haggerty walked six times, tying an NCAA record previously set by Josh Hamilton May 29, 1999.

Arizona pitchers walked a school record 16 batters.

The game lasted 4:14.

Jon Gaston hit his second home run of the regional in the seventh as his two-run shot reduced the Miami lead 12-9. The Wildcats (42-18) got within two on Rafael Valenzuela's RBI double in the eighth.

But the Hurricanes added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Alonso scored on Arizona third baseman C.J. Ziegler's fielding error and Adan Severino's RBI single.

David Gutierrez (5-0) pitched four innings in relief for the win.

The Hurricanes erased a 4-0 deficit with a six-run fourth inning. Hagerty's two-run home run cut Arizona's lead to 4-3 and Jemile Weeks' run-scoring single tied it 4-4. Yonder Alonso followed with a three-run home run, which gave Miami a 7-4 lead and chased Arizona starter David Coulon.

Coulon surrendered seven runs and six hits, walked five and struck out four.

Miami scored its first run on Sobolewski's RBI double in the third.

The Wildcats struck early with four runs against Miami starter Eric Erickson in the first. Gaston hit a run-scoring double and Ziegler followed with his 20th home run of the year. T.J. Steele singled, stole second and scored on Mike Weldon's RBI single for Arizona's fourth run of the inning.

Erickson settled down with quick innings in the second and third but was lifted with one out in the fourth after surrendering the lead.

Steele scored on a balk from third base and reduced Miami's lead 7-5. Valenzuela hit an RBI groundout and Colt Sedbrook followed with a run-scoring single.

Erickson allowed seven runs, walked three and struck out one.

Gaston's Game 1 heroics

Jon Gaston hit a three-run home run in the top of the 11th as Arizona defeated Miami 6-3 in the opening game of their Super Regional on Friday.

Gaston, a seventh-round draft choice by the Houston Astros earlier Friday, drove Miami reliever Carlos Gutierrez's 1-1 pitch over the fence in right field for his 12th home run of the season.

Gutierrez (5-3) struck out the first two hitters in the 11th but hit Colt Sedbrook on an 0-2 pitch. Brad Glenn followed with a single before Gaston's game-winning shot.

'I got a hold of it pretty good,' Gaston said. 'I thank my teammates for getting on and giving me the opportunity. It was one of the greatest moments I've had, especially in a Super Regional against a team like Miami.'

Jason Stoffel (4-2) pitched three scoreless innings and struck out five for the win.

'That was a great college baseball game,' Arizona head coach Andy Lopez said. 'It's a tough one to lose and great one to win.'

Miami's Yasmani Grandal led the ninth with a double to deep centerfield against reliever Ryan Perry. Stoffel replaced Perry and struck out Blake Tekotte. After Stoffel hit Jemile Weeks, Yonder Alonso hit a drive to deep center but the Wildcats' T.J. Steele ran down Alonso's shot and threw out pinch runner Jonathan Weislow, who rounded third.

T.J. Steele's two-out RBI single off Miami reliever Kyle Bellamy in the top of the seventh tied it 3-3. Hurricanes' starter Chris Hernandez retired 14 consecutive hitters until Brad Glenn led the inning with an infield single and advanced to second and third on two wild pitches.

Game 3 is scheduled for 4 p.m. today, with television coverage on ESPN.

© 2008 The Associated Press.