BASEBALL: Georgia shocks Miami in College World Series opener

Before Saturday night’s game against Georgia, Miami was 45-0 when leading after the eighth inning.

Make that 45-1.

Closer Carlos Gutierrez (5-4) gave up four runs on three hits and an error to blow a 4-3 lead.

Georgia’s Bryce Massanari swung at the first pitch for a single up the middle and moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Cerione. The next batter Robbie O’Bryan struck out, but the ball went past the catcher Yasmani Grandal to put runners at third and first with one out.

Lyle Allen followed with an RBI single, and on the next play, Gutierrez threw the ball into right field on an easy slow chopper that scored two. Ryan Peisel singled over the head of the third baseman for his third hit of the night to cap the scoring for Georgia.

Meanwhile, closer Joshua Fields (3-2) shut down the Canes in 1 1-3 innings as the fourth pitcher to take the mound for the Bulldogs.

The first three hitters for the Hurricanes blasted long balls.

Jemile Weeks hit his 12th homer, a solo shot in the first to give Miami an early 1-0 lead.

Joey Lewis doubled to left to lead off the third and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Allen. After Miles Starr grounded out to starter Chris Hernandez, Peisel singled up the middle on a 3-2 pitch to tie the game up at one.

Blake Tekotte regained the lead for the Hurricanes on a two-run no-doubter to right in the bottom half for his 12th of the season.

Peisel came back again in the sixth with his 11th home run after Starr reached first on a bunt with two strikes to tie the game at three apiece.

The Canes took back the lead on a solo shot by Yonder Alonso for his 24th to left center to make it 4-3.

Georgia (42-23-1) will take on Stanford, who won the first game of the World Series 16-5 against fourth seed Florida State, on Monday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. Miami (52-10) will face FSU in a rematch from a heated three-game series that Miami won in Tallahassee in April. You can listen to that game on WVUM 90.5 FM or WQAM 560 AM or watch it on ESPN2 at 1 p.m.

Christina De Nicola may be contacted at c.denicola@umiami.edu.