COLLEGE BASEBALL NCAA REGIONALS : CS Long Beach Wins, Advances to Omaha

Scott Talanoa’s home run in the fifth inning sealed Cal State Long Beach’s 8-4 victory over Oklahoma State in the championship game of the NCAA Central Regional at Austin, Tex., Monday night.

The third-seeded 49ers (44-20) earned their second trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. It is the third time in four years that a California team has won the Central Regional.

The second-seeded Cowboys, trying to reach the World Series for the 19th time and ninth in 10 years, ended the season at 47-20.

Talanoa, who was 10 for 24 with nine runs batted in in the regional, hit a 450-foot homer over the left-field fence that made the score 8-3 in the top of the fifth.

The 49ers scored twice in the third inning and three times in the fourth for a 5-0 lead.

The 49ers’ Steve Whitaker (11-3) gave up seven hits in 7 2/3 innings after pitching four innings of relief Friday. The 6-foot-6 left-hander struck out nine Monday.

Earlier Monday, Oklahoma State scored eight runs in the third inning to beat Long Beach, 12-8, forcing the deciding game.

The Cowboys trailed, 1-0, before getting seven walks in the third inning. Oklahoma State widened its lead in the sixth, going ahead, 12-4, on Joe Wallace’s second double and fifth RBI of the game.

Reliever Dennis Burbank (13-3) got the victory. Long Beach starter Ed Lopez (0-4) took the loss.

WEST I

Creighton 15, Hawaii 8--The Bluejays led the nation with a .358 team batting average this season and swept through the regional at USC’s Dedeaux Field on the strength of their offense.

Creighton had 19 hits against the Rainbows while earning its first trip to the College World Series, which begins Friday in the Bluejays’ hometown, Omaha, Neb.

The Bluejays (49-20) had 14 hits against Pepperdine, 16 hits against Minnesota and 13 hits against USC in their other three games.

Creighton was leading, 13-0, after six innings against Hawaii, which eliminated USC, 7-3, Sunday night.

Bluejay shortstop Bobby Langer had four hits and drove in six runs, and second baseman Mike McCafferty had four hits and four RBIs. Outfielder Rick Freehling also had four hits as Creighton dealt Hawaii left-hander Bill Blanchette (14-2) his second loss in the tournament.

Creighton right-hander Scott Sorenson (2-3) allowed four runs in seven-plus innings.

MIDWEST

Wichita State 11, California 5--Todd Dreifort capped a seven-run eighth with a grand slam and the Shockers rallied to beat the Bears before 7,220 at Wichita, Kan., and reach the College World Series for the third time in four seasons.

Wichita State (63-12), national champion in 1989, swept through the regional with four consecutive victories, outscoring the opposition, 42-18, and finished with a 40-2 record at home.

The Shockers loaded the bases in the eighth and Cal pitcher Brad Brown (7-8) forced home a run by hitting a batter before Dreifort hit his eighth homer of the year.

California (37-27), took a 5-3 lead on Dan Cholowsky’s three-run homer in the sixth. But Wichita’s Charlie Giaudrone and Darren Dreifort (9-2) combined to retire the last 11 Bears.

SOUTH

Louisiana State 7, Texas A&M; 1--Unbeaten left-hander Mike Sirotka handcuffed the Aggies for seven innings as the Tigers moved into today’s rain-delayed championship round at Baton Rogue, La.

The Aggies (44-22) today will play Southwestern Louisiana, which beat South Alabama, 6-3, in an elimination game. The survivor must beat LSU (50-18) twice to win the title.

Sirotka (10-0) gave up only four hits through seven scoreless innings but was lifted after allowing two more hits in the eighth. David Herry finished, allowing Billy Harlan’s run-scoring grounder.

LSU took a 2-0 lead on Chris Moock’s run-scoring single in the second and Rich Cordani’s RBI single in the third.

The Tigers (50-18) broke the game open in the sixth when Gary Hymel hit his 21st home run, tying LSU’s single-season record held by Albert Belle, now of the Cleveland Indians.