June 10, 2001
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Chris O'Riordan's go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inningled Stanford to a 5-2 victory over Cal State-Fullerton in a hard-foughtpitcher's duel in the College World Series on Sunday night.
Ryan Hall, who robbed Mike Rouse of extra bases with an impressive runningcatch in the ninth to send the game to the 10th tied at 1, led off with asingle off Chad Cordero (3-4) and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Scott Dragicevich popped up a bunt, and first baseman Aaron Rifkin, runningtoward home on the play, dived for the ball halfway down the line. The ball hitoff Rifkin's glove in fair territory, and Hall beat catcher Brett Kay's throwto third to put runners on first and third and no outs.
Hall, who came in as a defensive replacement in the eighth, came home toscore on O'Riordan's single through the right side. Sam Fuld followed with atwo-run triple off Mike Nunez, and Ryan Garko's sacrifice fly made it 5-1.
J.D. Willcox (5-0) allowed one run in 1 2-3 relief innings for his secondwin of the College World Series. He gave up an RBI single to David Bacani inthe 10th before Jeff Bruksch got the last out for his second save of theseries.
Stanford (50-16), which clinched its third straight 50-win season, advancedto the winner's bracket and won't play again until Wednesday night. CalState-Fullerton (47-17), the top seed in the NCAA tournament, will play Tulanein an elimination game Tuesday. The Green Wave beat Nebraska 6-5 earlier Sundayto end the Huskers' season.
The Cardinal, who improved to 5-2 in extra innings this season, have wonseven of their last eight.
Stanford starter Mike Gosling and Cal State-Fullerton's Kirk Saarloos weremasterful in adding a new twist to this year's College World Series - awell-pitched game by both teams.
Gosling had allowed just two hits, a single to Kay in the second and LouieLamoure's solo homer in the fifth, before getting into trouble in the eighth.
Gosling, who allowed one run, struck out eight and walked four in 7 2-3innings, got two quick outs before walking Bacani and Robert Guzman. Willcoxcame in and got Jason Corapci to ground out to end the threat.
The Titans got out of a jam in the ninth. Saarloos hit O'Riordan with apitch and Fuld sacrificed him to second. Cordero, who allowed three runs onfour hits in one inning, came in and hit Garko with a pitch and struck outCarlos Quentin before Jonny Ash singled to load the bases. But Cordero got AndyTopham to fly out to end the inning.
Saarloos allowed one run, five hits. struck out three and walked none in 81-3 innings. He has walked just three in his last 37 1-3 innings.
The Titans broke through in the fifth on Lamoure's homer that drifted overthe left-field wall just out of reach of Jason Cooper to give CalState-Fullerton a 1-0 lead.
Garko tied it with a leadoff homer off Saarloos in the seventh.