BASEBALL / COLLEGE WORLD SERIES : 49ers Beat Texas A&M;, Stay in Contention

Cal State Long Beach remained in contention in the College World Series by doing the things it had done most of the season.

Texas A&M; is going home because the Aggies did not.

Fourth-seeded Long Beach got strong pitching, played excellent defense and methodically produced runs Tuesday during a 6-2 victory at Rosenblatt Stadium that eliminated top-seeded Texas A&M; from the double-elimination tournament.

“We play station-to-station baseball,” Long Beach shortstop Rudy Rodriguez said. “We don’t have the big guys to go up and hit the ball out of the park all the time.

“We get our lead-off guys on, move them over, and someone comes up and gets them in.”

Long Beach, which has won two consecutive games since losing its opener against Louisiana State, will play unbeaten LSU today. If the 49ers lose, they head for the airport. If they win, they will play the Tigers again Friday for the right to advance to Saturday’s championship game.

Sixth-seeded Oklahoma State scored two runs during the top of the ninth inning to eliminate third-seeded Texas, 7-6, Tuesday night. Oklahoma State must defeat seventh-seeded Wichita State twice to reach the championship game.

“We’re glad we get to play LSU again,” Long Beach center fielder Cobi Cradle said. “We’ve won two games in a row and have some momentum. We’re right where we want to be and we’re playing the way we like to.”

Texas A&M;, on the other hand, played nothing like the team that spent most of the season ranked among the top five in the nation. The Aggies, making their first World Series appearance since 1964, committed three errors and several mental blunders against Long Beach. The Aggies made nine errors during their three games, including five in a 13-8 loss to LSU.

“We made some mistakes in the last two games that we haven’t made all year,” said Texas A&M; Coach Mark Johnson, whose team finished 51-16.

Cradle had two hits, drove in two runs, and made a spectacular diving catch during the fifth inning to rob Aggie lead-off hitter Bill Harlan of extra bases. Cradle also rattled Texas A&M; starter Kelly Wunsch with his baserunning during a four-run seventh inning.

Sophomore right-hander Daniel Choi, pitching on three days’ rest for the first time this season, gave up two runs in 7 1/3 innings, improving his nation-leading record to 17-2. Choi gave up eight hits, struck out two and walked four. Gabe Gonzales gave up no hits and had three strikeouts over the final 1 2/3 innings.

“That was my whole season,” Choi said. “I get hit hard, I get a couple of guys on base, then I focus better. I get an extra feeling. I step up to a new level.”

Long Beach had seven hits, six against Wunsch (7-2), a left-hander who was the Milwaukee Brewers’ No. 1 pick in the amateur draft. Wunsch had four strikeouts and walked three in 6 1/3 innings.

Designated hitter Jeff Liefer gave Long Beach a 2-1 lead with a one-out solo homer to right in the fourth inning. Liefer, a freshman from Upland, did not start in the 49ers’ opener against Louisiana State because LSU started a left-hander. Liefer had three hits against right-handers during the 49ers’ 6-1 victory over Kansas.

Long Beach Coach Dave Snow put him in the lineup against Wunsch, and Liefer responded with his 11th homer.

The 49ers broke the game open during the seventh with four runs on two hits and two Aggie errors.

Wunsch hit Rodriguez with a pitch for the second time to start the Long Beach seventh and Tim Falsken’s sacrifice moved Rodriguez to second. Cradle’s double into the right field gap scored Rodriguez, and Eric Martin reached on a throwing error by second baseman Eric Gonzalez to put runners at first and third.

Wunsch then got Kevin Curtis to hit a comebacker, but instead of throwing to second to start the double play, he threw to third in an attempt to get Cradle, who was about 10 feet down the line. Third baseman Lee Fedora dropped the throw and Cradle broke for the plate. Fedora’s throw to catcher Robert Lewis beat Cradle, but Lewis could not hold onto the ball while applying the tag, giving Long Beach a 4-1 lead.

Martins, who moved to third on the play, scored on a wild pitch with Brian Smith at the plate. Smith then drove in Curtis with a single to put the 49ers ahead, 6-2.

Long Beach, making its third World Series appearance in five years, is two victories away from playing for its first national title.

“We came in here with a 15-game winning streak, and when we lost to LSU, I think the other teams here kind of threw us on the back burner,” Long Beach shortstop Rodriguez said. “Maybe they thought, ‘Long Beach isn’t as good as it thought it was.’ Well, I don’t think anyone is going to forget about us now.”

College World Series Notes

Brian Fontes (2-0, 6.75 earned-run average) will start today for Long Beach against Louisiana State’s Mike Chamberlain (6-3, 4.40). . . .The 49ers’ victory over Texas A&M; ensures them of their best finish in three World Series appearances.