College World Series : Texas’ Dressendorfer Holds Long Beach to 6 Singles, 7-1

Louisiana State pitcher Ben McDonald was supposed to be the main attraction at Saturday’s College World Series. It would be hard to convince Cal State Long Beach of that after facing Texas sophomore Kirk Dressendorfer.

“Gosh, he’s awful good,” Long Beach Coach Dave Snow said after Dressendorfer held the 49ers to six singles en route to the Longhorns’ 7-1 victory.

“He took our game away from us. He’s a power pitcher. He got a little steam as the game went on. He pitches inside very well for a college pitcher.” Craig Newkirk drove in three runs on a double and a pair of singles for second-seeded Texas, which is making a record 25th appearance in the College World Series.

Scott Bryant, the NCAA RBI leader with a school-record 109, knocked in two runs with three singles and David Lowery added an RBI on three hits for the Longhorns, 52-17.

Dressendorfer, a sophomore now 17-2, struck out six in his 15th complete game. He took the victory in stride.

“It wasn’t pretty but it was a win,” he said. “I let my fielders do the work . . . “

Texas took a 3-1 lead in the third inning on Newkirk’s two-run double, followed by Lowery’s RBI single off previously unbeaten freshman Andy Croghan, 12-1.

Croghan allowed three earned runs and 10 of Texas’ 15 hits while striking out three in 6 2/3 innings.

The seventh-seeded 49ers, 50-14, jumped to a 1-0 lead when Don Barbara opened the second inning with a single and scored on Todd Lloyd’s hit.

Texas added four runs in the eighth.

The Longhorns advance to Monday night’s second-round, while the 49ers will play in the loser’s bracket Tuesday night.