No Rest for Miami After 8-6 Loss

Miami had hoped to get a day off and then play defending champion Louisiana State on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s College World Series title game.

Instead, the Hurricanes lost to Alabama, 8-6, on Thursday and will play the Crimson Tide again today for a spot in the final.

“There’s no one else we’d rather face than LSU,” said Miami third baseman Pat Burrell, who had two hits and two RBIs. “But we’ve got Alabama in the way.”

G.W. Keller hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to help Alabama keep its championship hopes alive. Keller’s homer, his 21st, put the Crimson Tide ahead, 7-0, after five innings.

“Our club keeps coming back and battling back,” Miami Coach Jim Morris said. “We keep going to the end. Whoever executes best and gets ready to play is going to win tomorrow.”

Heath Henderson (13-2) won despite giving up six runs and eight hits in five-plus innings. Jarrod Kingrey made his third relief appearance of the College World Series and pitched the final four innings for his fourth save.

Alabama Coach Jim Wells said he might use all of his other pitchers today.

“You can’t really save anybody. You’ve got to go for the win,” Morris said. “I’m just waiting for someone to throw a complete game. Everybody seems to have come out in the fifth or seventh innings.”

Miami freshman Alex Santos was hit hard. He gave up seven runs and seven hits in five innings and hit two batters.

Alabama (55-13), which lost to Miami, 6-1, on Monday, put the Hurricanes (51-17) in a familiar position. USC beat Miami twice to eliminate the Hurricanes two years ago. LSU (56-13) beat Miami, 9-8, in last year’s final.

Andy Phillips had a run-scoring single and Dustan Mohr singled in two runs when Alabama took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Tide added four runs in the fifth on Phillips’ RBI single and Keller’s homer to right.

“It was a game of multiple-run innings,” Wells said. “I liked the way we jumped on them early, but after that their pitchers did a great job.”

College Baseball Notes

Ron Polk, one of six coaches to take teams from two different schools to the College World Series, resigned after 22 seasons at Mississippi State, which was eliminated on Tuesday. In Polk’s prepared statement, he criticized the NCAA for “restrictive rules and regulations” affecting baseball. He was 1,043-486, including 888-422 at Mississippi State, where he is being replaced by assistant Pat McMahon.