Special to The Eagle
By DAVID HARRIS
Special to The Eagle
OMAHA, Neb. -- Texas A&M pitcher Michael Wacha stepped into a familiar role Tuesday against California. Again Wacha had to climb the mound with his team's championship dreams dangling by a thread on the sleeve of his rubberlike right arm.
In his two previous starts, Wacha helped the Aggies stave off elimination in the NCAA tournament and advance to college baseball's grandest stage. Against Arizona and Florida State, he gave up eight hits and two runs over 14 1/3 innings and did his part to extend A&M's season.
"If that guy isn't going to be at the top of the draft list next year, I'm missing something," Cal coach David Esquer said.
But after four strong innings Tuesday, the wheels came off.
"They just hit everything I threw up there," Wacha said. "I just didn't make pitches whenever I needed to."
Adam Smith homered in the fourth inning to put the Aggies up 1-0. With the way Wacha was rolling, it seemed like it may be enough to get A&M its first College World Series victory since 1993. He had given up just one hit and allowed two baserunners through four innings.
However, Smith's fielding and throwing error in the fifth inning allowed a Cal baserunner to get into scoring position.
From there, the Golden Bears became tougher at the plate, working counts and taking advantage of mistakes. Cal got eight hits from that point on, scoring seven runs and delivering the knockout punch to A&M and Wacha after 6 2/3 innings.
"Cal's hitters I thought did an amazing job today," A&M coach Rob Childress said. "Those guys grinded out at-bats and got big hits."
While Wacha found himself in a battle, Cal freshman Kyle Porter remained steady on the big stage. The crafty left-hander kept the Aggies off-balance with his offspeed repertoire and never allowed the reeling A&M lineup to get much going.
"He wasn't overpowering, but he was a good pitcher," Smith said. "He knew what he was doing. He got us out of our approach, and we weren't able to string enough of the bats together to get a run across."
In only his fourth start of the season, Porter showed toughness over his six innings, giving up three runs on se
"The stage didn't faze him," Childress said.
In a familiar role, Wacha did the unfamiliar. With the team's collective back against the wall, he got beat up. Only a sophomore, though, he's already itching for the opportunity to make right in Omaha.
"We're all going to be hungry that first day of fall next season," Wacha said. "We'll just be ready and be fighting to be in the same position next year, hopefully with a different outcome."
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