PRIOR DEFEATS FIU USC ONE VICTORY FROM COLLEGE WORLD SERIES USC 5, FIU 1.Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer Each of USC's wasted scoring opportunities that preserved Florida International's one-run lead added to the underdog's confidence. However, two mammoth swings by Abel Montanez and Anthony Lunetta and the arm of Mark Prior squeezed the adrenaline out of FIU FIU Florida International University FIU Financial Intelligence Unit FIU Fingerprint Identification Unit (Sony) FIU Fire Investigation Unit FIU Fraud Investigation Unit (UK) FIU Facsimile Interface Unit and gave the Trojans a 5-1 victory in an NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association super regional opener before 2,120 Friday at Dedeaux Field Dedeaux Field is a college baseball stadium in Los Angeles, California, and the home field of the University of Southern California Trojans baseball team. The stadium holds 2,500 people and was built in 1974, the year USC won its record fifth consecutive College World Series title. . The Trojans (43-17) can earn a trip to the College World Series by winning today's 1 p.m. game in the best-of-three series. The Golden Panthers (43-20) scratched out a first-inning run off Prior (14-1), and FIU's No. 2 starter, Paul Zervas (7-4), kept the Trojans scoreless into the fifth. USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. put at least two runners on in each of the second, third and fourth innings, but Zervas survived the threats, inducing double-play grounders in the second and fourth and leaving the bases loaded in the third. ``We felt like we should have hit this guy a lot better early,'' USC shortstop Seth Davidson said. ``It's frustrating.'' Montanez quelled Zervas' momentum when the right fielder right fielder n. Baseball The player who defends right field. Noun 1. right fielder - the person who plays right field outfielder - (baseball) a person who plays in the outfield sent his first pitch of the fifth over the right-field fence to make it 1-1. ``Sooner or later, when you keep hitting the ball hard, it's going to fall,'' Montanez said. Davidson's double and Bill Peavey's two-out walk provided Lunetta with a chance to give the Trojans a big lead. And like Montanez, the sophomore jumped on Zervas' first pitch. ``I was really hesitant my previous at-bat, so I was going to try and be a little more aggressive,'' Lunetta said. The shift in philosophy worked. Lunetta drilled a Zervas fastball off the screen behind the left-field fence to give Prior a 4-1 cushion. FIU, which already had faced a pitcher likely to be a top-five selection in next week's draft (Middle Tennessee “Middle Tennessee” redirects here. For the university in Murfreesboro, see Middle Tennessee State University. Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to law as well as custom. State's Dewon Brazelton Dewon Cortez Brazelton (born June 6, 1980 in Tullahoma, Tennessee) is a professional baseball pitcher, with major league experience from 2002-06. When Brazelton was only 15 years old, he had both knee surgery in 1995 and Tommy John surgery in 1996. ) got to Prior early in the game. However, Collegiate Baseball's Player of the Year settled into a groove. He issued no walks in a start for the seventh time this season. In all, Prior has walked just 17 in 131 2/3 innings. He found the strike zone after falling behind the game's first four batters. ``I came out slow. I didn't feel as comfortable as I normally do. And I really can't explain it,'' said Prior, who lowered his earned-run average to 1.50. ``I throw really well when I'm into the game emotionally. I think when Abel hit that huge bomb, it really fired me up.'' A more-tenacious Prior was the last thing FIU wanted to see. Even when back-to-back singles leading off the ninth gave the Golden Panthers some hope, Prior shut the door with three consecutive strikeouts. FIU coach Danny Price Danny Price was the head coach of the Florida International University baseball team, a position that he held from 1980 until May of 2007. During that span, he has become one of the few collegiate baseball coaches to record a thousand coaching victories, having reached that said Prior lived up to his reputation, adding that the junior was ``going to be very rich in a couple weeks,'' a reference to the draft. ``His curve was disgusting, the best I've ever seen,'' said FIU center fielder Matt Huntingford, who drove in the only run with a first-inning single. ``With a guy who gets stronger like that, if you don't get runs early, it's over.'' --Notes: FIU held out its top starter, senior Willie Collazo William Collazo (born November 7, 1979 in Carolina, Puerto Rico) is a left handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets. He is a graduate from Florida International University. (13-0, 2.86), until today's 1 p.m. second game to give him some extra rest after throwing 153 and 100 pitches in two games over four days in last weekend's Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame regional. Now, the Golden Panthers' ace must beat seasoned Trojans senior Rik Currier to stay alive. Currier (11-2, 2.60) is a postseason veteran, having appeared in regional and College World Series games each of his four years at USC. ... Prior's sixth-inning strikeout of Huntingford established a school and Pacific-10 Conference The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I. Membership Full members season record with 183. Prior's total now stands at 189. ...New USC football coach Pete Carroll was among the spectators at Friday's game. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Michael Moon, foreground, and his teammates celebrate after Abel Montanez's solo home run. John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News |
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