June 4, 2005

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Cesar Carrillo struck out nine and allowed just one run on four hits through 7 2-3 innings and Danny Figueroa went 3-for-3 with a home run and three stolen bases as host Miami beat Mississippi State 4-1 in a NCAA regional game Saturday.

Miami's hard-throwing ace improved to 13-2 on the season and 25-2 all-time with the win, and the top-seeded Hurricanes (40-17-1) moved to 80-11 in postseason play at Mark Light Field.

The loss ended a five-game winning streak for No. 2 seed Mississippi State (41-21), who now must beat third-seeded Florida Atlantic (37-23) at 3 p.m. Sunday to get another shot at Miami Sunday night.

Carrillo and Mississippi State starter Todd Doolittle (5-8) engaged in a tight pitchers' duel through six innings, with the Hurricanes drawing first blood on a Jon Jay RBI single in the fifth inning.

Miami managed only six hits off Doolittle in his six innings of work, but the senior walked four, hit one and threw a wild pitch. Doolittle's high pitch count - he threw 131 pitches through six innings - forced Mississippi State coach Ron Polk to pull him in favor of Mike Valentine heading into the seventh.

Miami immediately loaded the bases with no outs against Valentine, but could score only one run on a sacrifice fly RBI by Danny Valencia.

Mississippi State pulled to within 2-1 and knocked Carrillo out of the game on a sacrifice fly RBI by Brad Jones in the eighth. But Miami closer Chris Perez ended the inning by getting Brad Corley to ground out, and Figueroa sent a 1-1 pitch from Valentine over the left field wall to give Miami a 4-1 lead heading into the ninth.

Perez allowed just one hit in the ninth for his seventh save of the season, and Miami now must win just one more game to advance to the Super Regionals.

The Hurricanes will play the winner of Sunday's Mississippi State-FAU game in a game scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday night.