Futrell Makes His Hit Count as Florida State Defeats USC

USC reliever Ronald Flores threw the changeup right where it was supposed to be, off the plate and away from Florida State’s Michael Futrell.

“I was ready to pump my fist for striking this guy out,” Flores said. “When he hit it, it blew me away.”

Futrell’s run-scoring single with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Seminoles a 3-2 victory Wednesday night before 24,034 at Rosenblatt Stadium and ended USC’s bid for its 13th College World Series championship.

Florida State (53-18), seeking its first title in its 18th World Series appearance, will play Louisiana State today, and must defeat the four-time national champion Tigers twice in two days to advance to Saturday’s final.

USC (44-20), making its 20th World Series appearance, failed to reach the championship game for the first time in three trips here since 1995.

The Trojans defeated Florida State, 6-4, in their series opener to extend their winning streak to 16 games, but lost to LSU on Monday. The defeat by Florida State Wednesday marked the first time USC lost consecutive games since April 21 and 22 against Stanford.

“We had games like this during that streak, but we were able to get a few breaks,” USC shortstop Seth Davidson said. “We didn’t get that break today.”

USC had its chances, despite hitting only four balls out of the infield against Seminole right-hander Jon McDonald (12-5).

The Trojans stranded 10 runners and failed to capitalize on opportunities to score multiple runs in the fourth and sixth innings and at least one in the eighth and ninth.

McDonald pitched a four-hitter and struck out seven. The four hits tied a season-low for the Trojans.

McDonald hit three batters, walked four and threw two wild pitches, but stifled the Trojans whenever they threatened to break out with a big inning.

“He had way better stuff than he has had in the times I’ve faced him previously,” said Davidson, who played with McDonald on Team USA in 1998. “He had every pitch going for him tonight.”

McDonald’s performance overshadowed a superb effort by USC’s Anthony Reyes, a freshman right-hander from Whittier making his first appearance since the regional final against Cal State Fullerton on May 28.

Reyes pitched 7 1/3 innings and gave up only a single to Brett Groves in the third inning and solo home runs to Marshall McDougall in the fourth and seventh innings. He struck out 10 and walked three.

“I just left two balls up and they got hit,” Reyes said.

USC scored in the fourth inning. Justin Gemoll hit a ground ball to Seminole third baseman Pichi Balet and advanced to second on Balet’s throwing error. Gemoll moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Beau Craig’s infield single.

Anthony Lunetta drew a walk and Josh Persell sacrificed the runners to second and third, but McDonald retired Alberto Concepcion on a ground out and Brian Barre on a fly ball.

Florida State tied the score on McDougall’s two-out homer to left in the bottom of the inning.

USC went ahead, 2-1, in the sixth. Craig was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Balet’s throwing error on a one-out ground ball hit by Persell.

McDougall, the most outstanding player in last year’s World Series, answered an inning later with his 15th homer.

USC had runners at first and third with one out in the eighth, but McDonald got Concepcion to hit into a double play. In the ninth, USC had runners at first and second with two out, but Florida State first baseman Ryan Barthelemy leaped to knock down a line drive hit by Gemoll, then gloved the bouncing ball and beat Gemoll to the bag for the out.

“We didn’t get that one big hit that would have made the difference,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie said. “There were chances.”

Florida State began its game-winning rally after Flores got McDougall to ground out to short to start the inning.

Barthelemy then singled to right and Karl Jernigan singled to center before Balet flew out to right.

Up stepped Futrell, a right-handed batter who had struck out twice and flied out to right against Reyes.

Flores, a junior left-hander, got ahead with a 1-and-2 count, then threw the fateful changeup out of the strike zone, hoping Futrell would chase it and strike out.

Instead, Futrell lined it to right field and won the game.

“My first three at-bats tonight were pretty gross,” Futrell said. “On that last one, I had to get up there and do my best.”