College World Series : Oklahoma State Ousts Loyola, 11-5

Loyola Marymount, which lived by the bat most of the season, died by the bat Thursday. The Lions were eliminated from the College World Series by Oklahoma State, 11-5.

Loyola was dealt its second straight loss after an opening-game victory in a rain-delayed contest that took 3 hours 45 minutes to play and two days to complete.

The game was suspended Wednesday with Oklahoma State in the midst of a seven-run fourth inning and holding a 7-4 lead.

The delay didn’t appear to bother the Cowboys (56-14), who added a run in the fifth and three in the eighth. Loyola, on the other hand, threatened only twice, adding one run in the ninth after getting four quick runs Wednesday.

A high-scoring game was anticipated, but Loyola (50-15) managed only 15 hits in the three games. The one player who didn’t disappoint on offense was sophomore Chris Donnels, who had a homer and double in the final game and was 5 for 11 with two homers and four runs batted in for the series.

Oklahoma State got 14 hits against Loyola, four of them by Robin Ventura, the remarkable freshman from Santa Maria who entered the game with a .457 season average. The Cowboys also got a long home run and double from Jimmy Barragan, a .424 hitter, and five doubles overall.

“I thought we were flat,” Loyola Coach Dave Snow said. “They’ve got a great team. Everybody knew they were due to hit. I thought Wednesday they hit pitches anybody can hit. Today they hit some pitches only good hitters are gonna hit. They were better than we were . . . two days in a row.”

Senior Tim Layana (17-3) took the loss. Reliever Gordie Dillard, who pitched 5 innings of four-hit ball, earned the victory.

Loyola resumed the game Thursday by ending the Cowboys’ seven-run uprising with a double play. Barragan hit a home run off the right-field light tower in the fifth, and the Cowboys sent eight men to the plate in the eighth.

“Overall I don’t think we displayed the kind of discipline that got us here,” Snow said. “I’m caught in between emotions. I’m very disappointed in our performance, but very proud of our team. I think they overachieved. It was fun for me as a coach.”

In Thursday’s other game, Miami eliminated LSU, 4-3.

Arizona and Florida State, both 2-0 in the series, will play tonight. Miami (2-1) will face Arizona, and Oklahoma State (2-1) will play Florida State Saturday.