NCAA Baseball Regionals : CS Long Beach Surprises Arizona

Cal State Long Beach used the timely hitting of catcher Perry Sanchez and first baseman Dan Barbaro and a determined pitching performance by Kyle Abbott to move into the title game game of the West I Regional with a 10-6 victory over Arizona Sunday night at Tucson.

Sanchez hit a two-run double to highlight the 49ers’ five-run second inning. Barbaro had two hits and drove in three runs. Abbott, a tall, thin left-hander, went the distance to hand Pacific 10 Southern Division champion Arizona its first loss in a regional at home. The Wildcats were 8-0 in regionals at Tucson.

Abbott gave up 10 hits and walked five, but worked out of several jams to raise his record to 15-2. The 49ers supported him with four double plays.

Big West Conference co-champion Long Beach (49-13) plays the winner of Sunday night’s game between Arizona (44-17-1 and Loyola Marymount today at 5 p.m. If the 49ers win, they’ll advance to the College World Series. If they lose, a second game will follow.

Loyola Marymount 6, Oklahoma 5--Brian Walker, inserted into the game in center field for defensive purposes in the top of the 11th, singled in the bottom half to drive in Darrell Deak with the winning run and keep the Lions’ title hopes alive in the West I Regional.

With two out, Darrel Deak hit a fly to deep right-center. Sooner center fielder Paul Oster got to the ball, but dropped it for a three-base error. Walker, a freshman who was only 1 for 12 this season, lined the next pitch to right field for his game-winning single.

The teams were tied, 3-3, after nine innings, but Oklahoma scored twice in the top of the 10th on singles by Chris Ebright and John Douglas. Loyola (39-23) tied it in the bottom of the inning on Travis Tarchione’s two-run single.

Oklahoma (47-19-1) led, 3-0, after six innings behind the one-hit pitching of John Kosenski.

Fresno State 11, Notre Dame 4--The Bulldogs hit five home runs to remain in contention for the West II Regional title at Fresno, and in the process, eliminated the Irish.

Terance Frazier, Steve Vondran, Mike Burton, Steve Hosey and Tom Phillips homered and Eddie Zosky contributed three hits and two RBIs as Fresno State (44-18) bounced back from Saturday night’s 5-3 loss to Michigan.

Steve Wolf (9-2) pitched a complete game, only two runs and six hits before Joe Binkiewicz homered hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Louisiana State 5, Texas A&M; 4--Pinch-hitter Pat Garrity drove in the winning run with an 11th-inning double and four pitchers restricted the Aggies to only five hits, as the Tigers clinched the Central Regional title at College Station, Tex.

Texas A&M;, ranked No. 1 in the nation most of the season, needed a victory in Sunday’s first game to wrap up the title. But the Tigers forced the second game by beating the Aggies, 13-5, on a strong performance by ace right-hander Ben McDonald.

Curtis Leskanic (14-2), the third LSU pitcher, pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed three hits in the second game. But after he walked Mike Witte with two out in the 11th, the Tigers brought back McDonald to get the final out. He got Kirk Thompson to ground to third base ending the game.