AS IF IT DIDN'T STING ENOUGH ALREADY

Southern Miss headed to College World Series

Dream season continues

GAINESVILLE, FLA. — Southern Miss made school history tonight, beating Florida 7-6 to win an NCAA Super Regional and earn its first trip to the College World Series.

After trailing nearly the entire game, USM scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to take its first lead of the game. Joey Archer’s two-run single tied it, then Adam Doleac scored what proved to be the winning run when the Gators couldn’t turn a double play on Tyler Koelling’s grounder to shortstop.

Mike Mooney’s throw to first was in time to beat Koelling for what would have been the third out of the inning, but it was low and first baseman Preston Tucker couldn’t dig it out of the dirt cleanly.

USM coach Corky Palmer then turned to closer Carlin Cargill, who got clean-up hitter Josh Adams to bounce into a 5-4-3 game-ending doubleplay for his 13th save.

USM players ran from their dugout and dogpiled on the infield, celebrating the continuation of an improbable ride that two weeks ago many, even USM Palmer, who will retire at the end of the season, didn’t think was possible.

After losing to Rice in the Conference USA Tournament championship game, Palmer figured USM’s chances of receiving an at-large berth in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field were iffy.

But after getting that bid, USM became a different team. The Golden Eagles beat host and top-seeded Georgia Tech twice to win the NCAA Atlanta Regional, then swept host Florida — the No. 8 national seed — to earn one of eight spots in collegiate baseball’s showcase event.

The CWS opens on Saturday at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. USM (40-24) will play its first game on Sunday against the winner of Monday’s decisive Game 3 in the Texas-TCU Super Regional.

Florida jumped on top 6-1, pounding USM ace Todd McInnis with solo homers in the first and second and then using three hits and two walks to put up a four-spot in third.

But just as they have throughout the postseason, the Golden Eagles battled back.

An RBI-single by Corey Stevens and RBI-double by Archer in the fourth cut it to 6-3. USM challenged for more, loading the bases with one out, but Kyle Maxie hit a shallow fly to right field that became a double play when right-fielder Jonathan Pigott threw Stevens out at the plate after tagging at third.

Stevens, who was out by about 10 feet, was also ejected from the game when the home plate umpire said he threw a forearm at catcher Buddy Monroe in an attempt to dislodge the ball from his glove.

USM cut it to 6-4 on James Ewing’s solo homer in the fifth, then scored three in the eighth to win it.

Scott Copeland was the winning pitcher after holding the Gators to one hit and no runs in three innings of middle relief.