Gar Finnvold's pitching helped get top-seeded Florida State into the College World Series. His glove helped the Seminoles past North Carolina.
Finnvold turned a bases-loaded smash into an out in the first inning, averting a big inning, and allowed four hits through 7 1/3 innings as the Seminoles advanced with a 4-2 victory in the opener of the NCAA Division I championship.
The win moved the Seminoles, 53-16, into the winners' bracket Sunday, while North Carolina, 41-17-1, plays an elimination-round game.
North Carolina loaded the bases in the first inning on singles by Brad Woodall and Ron Maurer and a walk to Jesse Levis. But Finnvold, 10-3, helped avoid a big inning when he knocked down Dave Arendas' liner and turned it into a forceout. Woodall scored, but the potential for a big inning was defused.
"We had an opportunity to score more in the first and eighth innings," North Carolina Coach Mike Roberts said. "Finnvold's play in the first was the key play of the game. If it goes through, we're in business."
"That ball was a rocket," Finnvold said. "I thought it was still in my glove. Once I got my feet wet, I settled down."
The Tar Heels did not get another runner to second base until the eighth inning.
"I'm just glad he was able to keep his composure and get out of the inning with only one run," Florida State coach Mike Martin said. "Actually, I thought he would finish.
"Gar Finnvold can pitch with anybody in the country."
Buddy Cribb evened the game in the bottom of the second off loser John Thoden, 12-1, when he led off with his 12th homer. The Seminoles took the lead in the third on a walk, a double by Pedro Grifol, an RBI single by Bob Reboin and Brian Gilliland's RBI grounder.
Florida State added another run in the seventh when Bob Bargas led off with a double, went to third on a groundout and scored on an errant pickoff throw by Levis, the catcher.
Thoden, losing his first game of the season, allowed six hits in 7 1-3 innings.
Darren Villani led off the eighth for the Tar Heels with a single, the first hit off Finnvold since the third inning. Steve Estroff walked and Ryan Howison sacrificed, putting runners at second and third.
Martin brought in relief ace Ricky Kimball, who walked Tom Nevin to load the bases.
Woodall's sacrifice fly scored Vilani and Kimball hit Maurer with a pitch to reload the bases but got Levis to fly out to end the inning, then got the side in order for his ninth save.
Wichita St. 3, Arkansas 1
Wichita State's Greg Brummett allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings, Jim Newlin got his 16th save and Jim Audley hit a two-run homer as the fourth-ranked Shockers stopped No. 5 Arkansas.
The victory puts Wichita State, 64-15, against top-seeded Florida State, 53-16, at 7:30 p.m. CDT Sunday. In an elimination game at 3:40 p.m. Sunday, Arkansas, 50-15, meets eighth-seeded North Carolina, 41-17-1 after losing to Florida State 4-2 earlier Friday.
Audley put Wichita State up 2-0 in the third inning with his fifth homer of the season after Pat Meares doubled off Arkansas starter Mark Swope.
Arkansas took one run off the lead in the sixth when Greg D'Alexander hit his eighth home run of the year for only the second hit off Brummett, 16-2.
Meares doubled again in the seventh and moved to third after P.J. Forbes flied to right. A wild pitch by reliever Mike Oquist scored Meares.
Infield singles by Scott Pose and pinch hitter Grayson Liles in the eighth prompted Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson to go to bullpen ace Newlin, who is 5-0 with an earned run average of 0.82 in 33 games. Newlin got two groundouts to end the threat.
With one out in the ninth, Tony Gilmore doubled as the wind caused Todd Dreifort trouble for Wichita State in right. Newlin struck out Don Thomas and Rod Stillwell to end the game.
Wichita State, with the top team batting average in the tournament at .327, managed just six hits off Swope and Oquist. Bryant Winslow had two of those while playing on a stress fracture in his leg. Meares also had two.
Swope was the loser for the first time in eight decisions.