TCU Falls Short In Omaha
|via The Sports Xchange
Alex Faedo struck out 11 in 7 1/3 dominating innings as Florida advanced to the College World Series Finals with a 3-0 win over TCU on Saturday at TD Ameritrade Stadium in Omaha, Neb.
Florida (50-19) will face LSU in an all-SEC College World Series Finals that begins Monday. The Gators won two of three against the Tigers during the regular season.
Faedo, a first-round pick by the Detroit Tigers, allowed three hits, walked one and threw 74 of 113 pitches for strikes.
TCU put runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh inning, but Faedo struck out Josh Watson swinging to end the Horned Frogs’ threat.
The Gators scored single runs in the second, fifth and seventh innings. Mike Rivera, Christian Hicks and Deacon Lipsut each had RBIs for Florida.
Rivera grounded into a fielder’s choice in the second inning, scoring Austin Langworthy to give the Gators a 1-0 lead.
Hicks doubled home Rivera in the fifth inning to extend the Florida lead to 2-0, and Lipsut drove home Rivera with an infield single in the seventh inning.
TCU (50-18) starter Jared Janczak surrendered all three Florida runs on seven hits. The sophomore struck out seven and did not walk a batter in seven innings.
Michael Byrne relieved Faedo in the eighth inning and worked out of a two-on, one-out jam. Byrne closed out the Horned Frogs in the ninth inning, retiring the side in order.
Florida shortstop Dalton Guthrie had to leave the game with back spasms after striking out in the third inning. Liput moved over from second base to shortstop, and Blake Reese entered the game at second base.
TCU was shut out for only the third time this season. The Gators were responsible for two of those shutouts.