Sports: College World Series briefs

College World Series briefs

©Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. -- Charlton Jimerson led off the game with a home run for the second straight time and Miami went on to beat Southern Cal 4-3 Monday night in the College World Series, the Hurricanes' 15th consecutive win.

Greg Lovelady had a two-run double for Miami, which plays Thursday against USC or Tennessee, which face each other in an elimination game tonight.

Brian Walker pitched 51/3 innings for the win, and George Huguet held the Trojans scoreless for the final 12/3 innings for his 14th save.

USC, which blew a great scoring opportunity in the seventh inning, had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth, but Huguet got Alberto Concepcion to pop out to right to end the game.

Concepcion and Josh Persell homered for the Trojans, who had won seven straight.

The Hurricanes took the lead on Jimerson's homer off Rik Currier and never gave it up, thanks to Jimerson's leaping catch that robbed Brian Barre of a homer in the fifth. The speedy centerfielder timed his jump perfectly and, with his head and shoulders above the 7-foot wall in right-center, pulled the ball back.

The play seemed to revive the Hurricanes, who had two hits through the first four innings.

Kevin Brown led off the bottom half with a double. Kris Clute walked, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Lovelady drove them in with a double down the third-base line, and he scored on a two-out single by Javy Rodriguez.

Concepcion and Persell got USC back into the game with home runs in the sixth. Concepcion led off with a shot to left, and with Anthony Lunetta on first and one out, Persell launched one that cleared the bleachers in left to cut the lead to 4-3.

UT 19, GEORGIA 12: Coach Rod Delmonico might want to rethink his game plan after his Volunteers scored 32 runs in two CWS games.

"Well, coming into the tournament I stressed to our guys that we needed to have pitching and defense and timely hitting, so I don't know how to explain this," Delmonico said after Tennessee outslugged and outlasted the Bulldogs.

Chris Burke hit a go-ahead inside-the-park home run in the eighth. Kris Bennett drove in a series record-tying seven runs with a series-record six hits, including a home run. And Javi Herrera homered and had four RBI in Tennessee's 21-hit attack.

"I really didn't realize it, but everyone was coming up and congratulating me after the last one," Bennett said of his record-breaking hit. "Days like today, you're seeing it very well, picking up the spin, and it seems like it's right where you want it every time."

Brian Gates allowed one unearned run and two hits in four innings of relief to pick up the win for the Vols, who scored 13 runs in a loss to Miami on Saturday.

David Coffey had three hits, including a grand slam, and four RBI for Georgia, which had beaten its Southeastern Conference rivals in three regular-season meetings.

"I'm disappointed we lost, but I'm certainly not disappointed in our ballclub," Georgia coach Ron Polk said. "We battled. We didn't make a couple of plays in the field and they took advantage."

Burke's home run, his 20th of the season, sparked a five-run inning for the Vols, who advanced to tonight's elimination game.

"I'd like a shutout tomorrow to be honest with you," Delmonico said. "But we're really swinging the bat well, and we need it right now."

With the score tied at 11, Burke led off the eighth with a long shot to centerfield off Jeffery Carswell. Kris Edge backpedalled and appeared to be under the ball, but it went over his glove and rolled away from him as he crashed into the wall.

Bulldogs first baseman Mark Thornhill said the sun was a factor. "It got worse as the game went on," he said.