2012 College World Series: Cinderella Kent State Eliminates No. 1 Florida

Florida’s baseball team roared into the 2012 College World Series on a roll and with the nation’s No. 1 ranking. In a 5-4 loss to Kent State on Monday, though, that Goliath was felled by a David with no previous College World Series wins.

The Golden Flashes scratched out a 5-1 lead, getting their first four runs unearned thanks to Florida errors in the first and second inning, and held on against a Gators offense that could never quite get the big hit. Starter Ryan Bores allowed two runs on six hits in six innings for Kent State, which got its fifth one-run victory of the NCAA Tournament.

Florida starter Hudson Randall lasted just one inning before succumbing to heat-related exhaustion, and spot reliever Jonathon Crawford allowed the rest of Kent State’s four runs to score in the next three innings. The Gators scrapped back, scoring runs in the sixth and seventh innings to close to within one, but could not push a run across in the ninth inning despite 11 straight balls by Kent State pitchers and a two-on, no-outs situation for first round draft pick Brian Johnson that became a sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Cody Dent.

Kent State moves on to an elimination game against the loser of Monday night’s South Carolina-Arkansas clash. Florida runs a string of consecutive losses in Omaha to four.

For more on Kent State, head to MAC blog Hustle Belt. For more on Florida, visit Alligator Army and SB Nation Tampa Bay.