Winning with a 6 in the E stat?

CS FULLERTON - 010 020 100 000 0 --4

UC IRVINE - 000 102 100 000 1 -- 5

The Anteaters of UC Irvine sent the Titans home early from the CWS. This was not your novice fans game. 13 innings, 5 hours, and 40 minutes (the longest game in CWS history) of baseball with only 9 runs crossing the plate the entire game. Take into consideration that the CWS started in 1950, and has been a tradition in Omaha ever since. Something that jumped off the line for me was that the Anteaters committed more errors than runs scored. They committed 6 errors while the Titans played without a mistake. This is not the first time this has happened in a baseball game, but it is an oddity.

Both pitching staffs put 3 guys on the hill, all of which pitched very well. Survival is the key to the elimination game, so give props to the coaches for staying with their guys. Sometimes managers will jerk a pitcher off the mound on a gut feeling, but these guys went down fighting with all they had. This puts UC Irvine in a better position to play their next game with most of their arms ready.

Arizona St. seems to be their likely opponent in the next elimination game, after being thumped by the Beavers. Oregon St. seems to be comfortable in Omaha after making their 3rd appearance in 3 years. This year the Beavers are 15 of 16 in stolen bases at the CWS, and that's just sick. Last year they took home the trophy, and it doesn't look like they want it to reside any other place than the Pacific Northwest. The Beavers jumped on the Sun Devils with both feet early and often.

As I sit here watching the game, my mind wonders, "Where is my favorite college baseball color analyst?" I'll say it, HR! Harold Reynolds. I think that this is the hardest thing to deal with as an observer of the CWS, and the Little League World Series also. Yes, Joe Morgan is the best at the professional level, but HR is second only to him. HR played his college ball up at OSU, and I'm sure it hurts for him not to be there to watch his beloved Beavers make a run at a back to back. Where have you gone Mr. Reynolds? We miss you.