texas

Beckwith Goes Distance Again, Coastal Carolina Tops TCU

Andrew Beckwith pitched his second straight complete game and set a school record with his nation-leading 14th win, and Coastal Carolina stayed alive in the College World Series with a 4-1 victory over TCU on Friday night.

The Chanticleers, in the CWS for the first time, forced a second Bracket 2 final Saturday night against a TCU team that's in Omaha for the third straight year. The winner of the rematch will make its first appearance in the best-of-three finals beginning Monday.

Beckwith (14-1), who pitched the first complete game of his career in a 2-1 win over No. 1 national seed Florida last Sunday, scattered six hits, walked one and struck out five in a 137-pitch outing.

The Chanticleers (52-17) scored twice off Mitchell Traver (1-3) in the third inning, on Anthony Marks' squeeze bunt single and a sacrifice fly. They added two runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly and David Parrett's ground-rule double.

Beckwith retired 13 straight batters over one stretch and held the Horned Frogs (49-17) scoreless until Dane Steinhagen homered with one out in the eighth. Steinhagen was 1 for 10 in the CWS before launching his shot to left.

Traver was impressive in his 6 1/3 innings though he was charged for all four runs, three earned. He retired 11 in a row before issuing a walk in the seventh, and he left after the next batter singled.

Beckwith, an undrafted junior, got a big assist from his defense in the ninth inning. Shortstop Michael Paez cut off Luken Baker's hard grounder to his right and got the lead runner at second to keep the Frogs from gaining momentum. Center fielder Billy Cooke slid on his backside catching Elliott Barzilli's short fly to end the game.

Baker, TCU's freshman star who was hitting .467 in the NCAA Tournament, went 0 for 4.

The Chanticleers have won two straight since losing 6-1 to TCU on Tuesday. They won an elimination game over Texas Tech on Thursday to reach the bracket final.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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