College World Series : Arizona Goes Loyola Marymount One Rally Better

Loyola Marymount University ran out of late-inning comebacks Monday and lost its second-round game, 7-5, to Arizona in the College World Series.

Loyola’s unexpected lack of offense and some shoddy fielding presented too many obstacles for the Lions, who have a history of late-inning heroics but who were up against the comeback kings of the tournament.

Coming off its opening game 8-7 victory over Maine in which Arizona erased a seven-run deficit, the Wildcats came back Monday night from a 5-4 deficit in the seventh inning.

Arizona was led by its comeback kid, cleanup hitter Todd (Sluggo) Trafton, who injured his ankle in the opening game and was listed as questionable. He started--and finished Loyola with a two-run homer in the seventh. He also walked with the bases loaded in the third inning to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.

The loss sent Loyola (50-14) into Wednesday’s 4 p.m. losers’ bracket game against Oklahoma State. The loser of that game will be eliminated. Arizona (47-18) is off until Thursday, when it faces the winner of today’s Miami-Florida State game.

Arizona scored a run in the fifth on a double by Dave Rohde and two errors to take a 3-0 lead.

The Lions were shackled by Arizona starter Gary Alexander until the fifth, when they got their first two hits plus a hit batter and an error to tie the game.

Arizona took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on a hit and two more errors, but Loyola came back with two runs, including Jim Bruske’s homer, to take the lead.

But losing pitcher Jeff Goettsch (9-5) gave up a one-out single to Mike Senne in the seventh and Trafton followed with a long blast over the left-field fence for a 6-5 lead.

The Wildcats added the final run in the eighth, and winner Joe Estes (8-3) put down a mild challenge in the ninth.

“I thought we just broke down, in some key situations,” Loyola Coach Dave Snow said.

The matchup with Oklahoma State promises a fireworks show--on paper. Both teams averaged 10 runs, but neither has hit well in the tournament. Loyola had five hits Monday. “We’re sitting in the same position--waiting for our teams to explode,” Snow said.

World Series Notes

The eight Series teams have three sons of former major leaguers: Loyola catcher Jim McAnany, son of former White Sox outfielder Jim McAnany; Oklahoma State infielder Bryn Kosco, son of former Dodger Andy Kosco; and Oklahoma State pitcher David Osteen, son of former Dodger pitcher and Phillie pitching coach Claude. . . . McAnany was hit by a pitch Tuesday, for the 21st time this season and seventh in postseason. The season total is an NCAA record. . . . The run that got away: In one of the strangest plays of the tournament, Arizona scored a two-out insurance run Monday on a called third strike that may have hit the dirt before McAnany gloved it. While McAnany questioned the umpire, batter Dave Rohde ran to first and was ruled safe. He then stole second despite a pitchout and scored on Tommy Hinzo’s single. The Loyola side says McAnany caught the third strike. Arizona Coach Jerry Kindall said: “I thought it was trapped. I instinctively yelled run. The umpire confirmed it was in the dirt.” The official scoring was strikeout-fielder’s choice and earned run.