College Baseball Capsules: Longhorns make quick CWS exit after 3-0 loss

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Texas couldn't fight off elimination this time, not with a second straight shaky performance by its starting pitcher and an offense that wilted in the heat and humidity at the College World Series.

Cole Green lasted just two-plus innings and the Longhorns managed only four singles Monday in a 3-0 elimination-game loss to North Carolina.

Freshman left-hander Kent Emanuel pitched the first complete-game shutout in five years, sending the Longhorns (49-19) out of the CWS in two games for only the second time in 25 appearances since 1966.

"We didn't come here to be the first team to leave," shortstop Brandon Loy said. "You're never going to be satisfied, I don't think, unless you come out here with a national championship. We did some amazing things with this team. It's tough to leave now."

The Longhorns had been 8-1 in elimination games since the Big 12 tournament, but Emanuel was too much for them to overcome.

Texas went three-up, three-down in 11 of 18 innings against Florida and North Carolina.

"We did get outplayed twice. That really is the bottom line," coach Augie Garrido said. "I, for one, am proud of the leadership on this team, and I'm not just throwing that around. They took a team that was pretty scattered at the beginning of the year and pulled it together and kept it functioning like one, so that we had the opportunity to come here."

The Longhorns came to Omaha well-armed, but ace Taylor Jungmann gave them only 4 1-3 innings in the 8-4 loss to Florida and Monday's starter Cole Green got hit hard and lasted just two-plus innings.

Green (8-4) matched his shortest start of the season after having gone at least five innings in each of his 12 starts dating to March 27.

It was Green's second straight rough outing in Omaha. In 2009, he lasted one inning as the starter in the 11-4 championship-game loss to LSU.

"I think I was leaving the ball up early in the game," Green said. "I was just excited, the nerves were going."

The 19-year-old Emanuel showed plenty of maturity in methodically and coolly keeping the Longhorns off balance with changeups and curves when they were sitting on fastballs.

"Other than his left arm, that's his best trait, his demeanor," Tar Heels coach Mike Fox said. "You don't see a lot of emotion out of him. That's what you want when you're on the mound, especially on this stage."

North Carolina's offense, which couldn't get timely hits in an opening loss to Vanderbilt, produced enough to support Emanuel.

Jacob Stallings hit a two-run single in the third inning and Ben Bunting finished a four-hit day with an RBI double in the ninth for the Tar Heels (51-15), who play Vanderbilt or Florida on Wednesday.

Emanuel (9-1) walked one and struck out five. North Carolina's Robert Woodard pitched the last shutout here, blanking Clemson in 2006. The last freshman to do it was LSU's Brett Laxton in 1993 against Wichita State.

"It was a brilliantly pitched game by their pitcher," Garrido said. "He was terrific. He got three pitches over. He used them in different count spots where he would lead guys off of changeups. He'd lead guys off with breaking balls. He'd lead guys off with fastballs and he had command throughout the game from beginning to end."

The Longhorns twice ran themselves out of innings, with Jonathan Walsh getting doubled off in the second and Mark Payton in the fourth.

"Any time we can end the inning on double play and get two for one is always big," Emanuel said. "That's just credit to our outfielders today. Those are two uncommon double plays, and I was fortunate to have two of them."

North Carolina fans, including basketball coach Roy Williams, began chanting "Heels, Heels, Heels" after Bunting's double in the top of the ninth, and they applauded as Emanuel emerged from his dugout to start the bottom half.

Emanuel needed only nine pitches to finish off the Longhorns, getting Tant Shepherd to pop out to first, Payton to ground out and Brandon Loy to fly out to right.

Garrido chalked up this year's CWS as a learning experience for his young players.

"Until you've been here, it's harder to play here," he said. "With 11 freshmen coming back who have the right attitude, the right talent, and the right skill, the leaders of this team have given them an introduction to the College World Series as we now know it in the new ballpark, which is absolutely beautiful and a wonderful place to be playing."

Rain stops CWS game; Gators lead Vandy 3-1 in sixth

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Heavy rain following high winds forced the suspension of the Florida-Vanderbilt game at the College World Series on Monday night.

Florida leads 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The game will resume Tuesday at 11:06 a.m. EDT.

Tornado sirens sounded in the area about 8 p.m., but no tornado warning was issued. Fans at TD Ameritrade Park began filing out, but play continued for a couple more pitches before umpires waved players off the field.

Fans took refuge in the stadium concourse until the NCAA announced the suspension 2½ hours after play was stopped.

Preston Tucker's three-run homer off Vanderbilt starter Grayson Garvin gave the Gators a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. It was Tucker's fifth homer in eight games and 15th of the season.

Anthony Gomez's RBI single in the fifth made it 3-1.

Garvin, the Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year, held the Gators hitless through three innings. He walked Nolan Fontana with one out in the fourth and Mike Zunino followed with an infield single before Tucker sent Garvin's 2-1 pitch into the seats above the right-field bullpen.

Tucker, who doubled in the sixth, is batting .375 (12 of 32) over the past eight games, with six doubles and 18 RBIs to go with the five homers.

Florida starter Karsten Whitson held Vanderbilt scoreless in the first and third innings after the Commodores had a runner reach third base.

The Commodores broke through in the fifth. Connor Harrell singled with one out and Tony Kemp drew a two-out walk before Gomez singled to left center, chasing Whitson and bringing on Steven Rodriguez.

Dark clouds moved in from the south and winds began picking up in the bottom of the sixth. Tornado sirens were heard as Mike Yastrzemski flew out to left field.

Home plate umpire Jim Garman looked to his left and right after that play, apparently looking for a sign to stop play, but he allowed Jason Esposito to begin his at-bat. Umpires waved players off the field after Rodriguez's first pitch to Esposito.

Skies turned pitch black as the grounds crew put the tarp on. Some fans pulled out cameras to shoot video of the ominous clouds. Strong winds blew food wrappers across the field and through the stands. After the grounds crew got the tarp on the field, many of them sprinted off to shelter.

The NCAA had hoped to resume play after about a two-hour delay, but rain continued.

When play resumes, Florida will try to wrap up its fourth victory in five games against its fellow SEC school.

The winner advances to a Friday game, with the opportunity to lock up a spot in the best-of-three championship series with a victory.

The loser meets North Carolina on Wednesday in an elimination game.

-- Eric Olson

Notebook: Father quits job to see son pitch for Gamecocks

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — David Roth wasn't about to miss seeing his son pitch for South Carolina in the College World Series. He went to extreme lengths to do it.

Roth quit his job as a car salesman in Greer, S.C.

Roth was in Omaha last year when the Gamecocks won the national title, but his job kept him from watching Michael Roth pitch. No way that was going to happen this year.

"They were like, 'You know, you don't have any vacation days,' " Michael said Monday. "He said, 'I've got to go out there to Omaha,' so he just quit."

David Roth was in the stands Sunday, soaking up Michael's 7 1-3 innings of work against Texas A&M. All four runs he allowed were unearned.

The 5-4 win thrilled the Gamecocks fans, but for Michael it was extra meaningful.

"Obviously, it was pretty special considering it was Father's Day yesterday," he said Monday. "I'm glad that he's here. It's been pretty cool having my family here."

Michael didn't know his dad had sacrificed his job for the College World Series until he had dinner with his family on Saturday.

"My mom mentioned something after super regionals," he said. "She was like, 'I think dad's going to come.' I said, 'Really? He's going to get off work?'

"She was like, 'He's either going to get off work or he's going to quit.' "

On Saturday Roth tweeted: "How's this for dedication? My dad had to quit his job to make it out to Omaha."

The junior left-hander said it was disappointing that his dad couldn't see his two quality starts a year ago.

Michael Roth (13-3), a 31st-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians, became one of the nation's premier starting pitchers after working as a reliever most of last season. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 37 1-3 innings since May 13. His season ERA is 0.97.

The Gamecocks play Virginia in a Bracket 2 winners' game Tuesday.

"My main role tomorrow will be cheering," he said. "We'll be doing plenty of that. We'll be fired up and ready to go."

Having his dad here for as long as the Gamecocks stay alive makes this CWS an even bigger thrill.

"My dad's been a huge inspiration for baseball for me," he said. "It's definitely nice to have him out here."

Is he worried about his dad getting another job?

"No, he'll be OK," Michael said. "Gamecock Nation will help us out."

WATCHING FROM AFAR: South Carolina's Robert Beary had a special fan monitoring Sunday night's thrilling 5-4 win over Texas A&M — his father, Kevin, now stationed in Afghanistan.

Kevin Beary, a Florida county sheriff the past 16 years, is in his second tour of police duty in Afghanistan. With the Taliban and other government enemies still a threat, the work is perilous.

"There's danger all over," Robert said. "They lose guys all the time. And it's not always gun fire. It's suicide bombings. He's been taught to keep his head down."

Robert Beary was able to speak to his dad by e-mail and phone earlier Sunday.

"He told me about six to eight guys were going to stay up," Robert said. "Because of the time difference it was about 3 o'clock in the morning there."

Beary was a central figure in the dramatic 5-4 victory over the Aggies, especially in the bottom of the ninth when he led off the winning rally by hitting a 1-2 pitch to deep right for a double.

CHILDRESS BACK HOME: While TD Amertrade Park is the new venue for the CWS, the experience isn't for Texas A&M coach Rob Childress. He was the Nebraska pitching coach when the Cornhuskers made three appearances in 2001-02 and 2005.

The Huskers won only one of seven games at the CWS those years. His first CWS appearance as a head coach didn't start well, as South Carolina used a walkoff single to beat the Aggies 5-4 Sunday.

Childress said his team will be ready for its elimination game against California on Tuesday.

The Aggies were the only CWS qualifier to win a super regional on the road, coming back from a 23-9 loss at Florida State to defeat the Seminoles 11-2 in the deciding game.

"I think what we've been through for the last month has really helped our team, helped us grow and helped us get closer together," Childress said. "Our guys will be ready to play come Tuesday, I can tell you that."

Other College Baseball Capsules

Bahamas drops rape charges against FIU's Wittels

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — A court in the Bahamas dismissed a rape case Monday against a Florida International baseball star and two friends who were accused of sexually assaulting two American teens after a night of drinking at an island resort.

Judge Derrence Rolle-Davis dropped the charges against Garrett Wittels and two friends from New York at the request of prosecutors who said they had no case against the men. The judge ordered the $10,000 bond paid by each should be returned. "You are free to go," he told them.

Outside court, Wittels, who had a 56-game hitting streak end earlier this year, shook hands with police and his lawyers. He and his two friends, Robert Rothschild and Jonathan Oberti, declined to speak to reporters.

Defense lawyer Richard Sharpstein said the accusations stemmed from an apparent attempt to extort money from the Atlantis resort, where the three friends and two 17-year-olds from the United States spent an evening drinking and gambling at the casino in December 2010.

"The nightmare is over for Garrett," Sharpstein said. "This case was nothing but an outrageous persecution of Garrett based on perjured testimony, a pack of lies told by these young ladies and encouraged by one of their fathers, who attempted to execute an extortion scam against Atlantis."

The three men had insisted on their innocence from the start.

Wittels' 56-game hitting streak ended in the season opener against Southeastern Louisiana when he went 0 for 4, leaving him two games shy of Robin Ventura's 58-game Division I record and four short of the NCAA all-divisions mark set by Damian Costantino of Division III Salve Regina from 2001-03.