College World Series : Florida St. Puts Miami Into Losers’ Bracket, 7-2

Richie Lewis struck out 10 and Eric Mangham had three hits and two runs batted in to lead Florida State to a 7-2 victory over defending champion Miami in the NCAA College World Series winners’ bracket semifinal Tuesday at Omaha, Neb.

The teams had billed the game as the Florida state championship. The teams split six games during the regular season.

The top-ranked Seminoles take their 59-11 record into Thursday’s winners’ bracket final against No. 5-ranked Arizona (47-18).

Florida State picked up a pair of runs in the first inning on Bien Figueroa’s RBI single and a bases loaded walk to Steve Taddeo before Dan Davies relieved Miami starter Will Vespe to end the rally.

The Hurricanes evened the score in the third, scoring both runs on errant FSU pickoff attempts.

In the seventh the Seminoles finally went to work on Davies, who faced the minimum 15 batters in his first five innings, loading the bases on a hit batsman, a single and a bunt single.

Jose Marzan singled in one run, Paul Sorrento’s fly scored another and Luis Alicea’s single got home a third to chase Davies. He was replaced by Rick Raether, who got a strikeout but then yielded a two-run single to Mangham to make it 7-2.

Loyola Marymount, trying to stay alive in the College World Series, will send ace right-hander Tim Layana (17-2) to the mound in an elimination game against Oklahoma State today. The game will be televised on ESPN starting at 2 p.m.

Loyola (50-14), which made it to Omaha mostly because of its hitting, has yet to break out in the tournament. After scoring in double figures in four straight games to win the West Regional, Loyola has totaled only 10 runs in two games--a 5-4 victory over LSU and a 7-5 loss to Arizona.

Defending champion Miami and LSU meet in another elimination game after Loyola and Oklahoma State.