Tulane Ends Hopes for LSU and Bertman With 7-1 Win

Tulane earned its first trip to the College World Series on Sunday with a 7-1 victory at Metairie, La. over state rival Louisiana State, the defending national champion.

Beau Richardson gave up seven hits and struck out eight as the Green Wave (55-11) denied retiring LSU Coach Skip Bertman another trip to the College World Series in Omaha.

Tulane won the best-of-three super regional after losing the opener, 4-3, in 10 innings Friday.

During Bertman’s 18 years at LSU, the Tigers won five national titles, made 11 College World Series appearances and won seven Southeastern Conference titles. Bertman will take over as LSU’s athletic director. LSU finished its season at 44-22-1.

“For me to coach and get paid a lot of money and still get to go to work in a jogging suit was fantastic,” Bertman said. “On Aug. 1, when I go to work in a tie, it’ll be the first time in my life.”

The crowd of 11,870 broke the attendance record for an NCAA regional set in Friday’s first game, which drew 11,719.

Tulane took a 1-0 lead in the first and added six runs in the fourth highlighted by three stolen bases and a two-run single by Andy Cannizaro.

LSU’s Tim Nugent gave up five runs and seven hits.

Said Tulane Coach Rick Jones: “We had good pitching all weekend and Beau Richardson took that to a new level. I won’t forget that for some time.”

Stanford 3, South Carolina 2--Andy Topham hit a two-run homer in the fifth as the Cardinal defeated the Gamecocks at Palo Alto to advance to its third consecutive College World Series.

Mike Wodnicki (6-1) pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief to pick up the victory. He allowed a run on five hits while striking out five and did not walk a batter. J.D. Willcox recorded the final five outs for his sixth save.

Stanford starter Jeff Bruksch allowed a run on three hits in four-plus innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit two batters.

Chris O’Riordan had four hits for Stanford (48-16), which lost to Louisiana State in the national championship game last year.

Marcus McBeth homered for South Carolina (49-20), which was trying to reach the College World Series for the first time since 1985. Tim Whittaker added four hits for the Gamecocks.

Blake Taylor (5-4), the winning pitcher in relief in Saturday’s game, went the first four-plus innings, allowing Topham’s homer, to take the loss. He allowed five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

Each team squandered early scoring chances before the Cardinal broke through in the fifth.

Stanford had runners on first and third with no outs in the fourth, but Taylor got two popups and a groundout to stifle the rally.

In South Carolina’s fourth, Garris Gonce suffered a broken nose when he was hit by a pitch. After a 10-minute delay and a change of uniforms, he remained in the game. The Gamecocks eventually loaded the bases with one out, but Bruksch got a force out at home, and a strikeout to end the rally.

Stanford added what turned out to be the winning run in the sixth when Jonny Ash hit a double to right center to score Ryan Garko, who started the inning with a walk.

South Carolina cut it to 3-2 in the eighth inning after a double to right center by Tripp Kelly scored Tim Whittaker.

With a runner on first and two outs in the ninth, Whittaker lined out to shortstop Scott Dragicevich to end the game.

Tennessee 6, East Carolina 3--Stevie Daniel’s grand slam capped a five-run eighth inning and helped the Volunteers sweep the best-of-three super regional at Kinston, N.C.

Tennessee (49-15) will play in its third College World Series and first since 1995.

In the eighth, the Volunteers opened with a walk and single and scored when reliever Glen Tucker overthrew third base while trying to get the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt. Chris Burke walked to load the bases, and Daniel followed with his homer to right-center field.

The Pirates (47-13) had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the ninth, but reliever Brian Gates got Cliff Godwin to pop up.

Florida State vs. Georgia, ppd.--At Athens, Ga., the second game of the super regional between the Seminoles and Bulldogs was postponed by rain.

Florida State led 8-6 in the top of the seventh inning when it was called off for the day. The game will be resumed this morning.

Georgia leads the best-of-three series, 1-0, after an 8-7, 10-inning victory Saturday. The winner of the series advances to the College World Series to play USC in a first-round game.