COLLEGE BASEBALL

• UCLA, South Carolina to face off for CWS title

  Omaha, NE (Sports Network) - Trevor Bauer threw eight stellar innings, striking out 13, and Blair Dunlap hit a three-run homer, as UCLA advanced to the College World Series title series with a convincing 10-3 victory over TCU.

  Bauer, who tossed 135 pitches, allowed three runs -- two earned -- on four hits with two walks, while Dean Espy turned in a 3-for-4 game with a homer and two RBI for UCLA, which will face the winner of Saturday's nightcap between South Carolina and Clemson in the best-of-three championship series beginning Monday night.

  Bryan Holaday cracked a pair of solo homers for TCU, which finished the season with a 54-14 mark. Kyle Winkler was saddled with the loss for surrendering three runs on two hits without recording an out in the first inning.

  In the nightcap, Christian Walker's solo homer and two total RBI helped South Carolina advance to the championship series with a 4-3 win over Clemson.

  Whit Merrifield added three hits, while Sam Dyson allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 frames for the Gamecocks, who beat their conference rival on consecutive days to advance to the finals for the first time since 2002. South Carolina, in its ninth CWS appearance, has never won the title.

  Mike Freeman and John Hinson each had two hits for the Tigers, who were trying to advance to their first title series in their 12th CWS appearance. Casey Harman yielded three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 frames in a losing effort.

  UCLA and South Carolina will meet in a best-of-three series that begins on Monday to determine the College World Series title.

  Holaday opened the scoring in the top of the first with a homer to give TCU a brief lead.

  However, UCLA answered with a five spot in the home half. Beau Amaral was hit by a pitch leading off and Niko Gallego singled before Dunlap cleared the bases with his three-run shot to left.

  Paul Gerrish took over on the mound for Winkler and walked Cody Regis and two batters later gave up a run-scoring double to Jeff Gelalich. Espy followed with an RBI single for a 5-1 Bruins advantage. Regis added an RBI double in the second.

  Joe Weik's sacrifice fly in the fourth and another homer by Holaday in the fifth drew TCU to within 6-3.

  UCLA responded by putting up a pair of runs in the sixth on a run-scoring base hit from Regis and passed ball that allowed Dunlap to cross the plate from third.

  In the seventh, Espy cracked a tape-measure homer into the left field seats and Amaral's double down the left field line scored Steve Rodriguez with the aid of an error to make it 10-3.

  Dan Klein took over for Bauer in the ninth and retired the side in order.

  With the second game tied, 2-2, entering the bottom of the seventh, South Carolina took the lead for good. Evan Marzilli was hit by an Alex Frederick pitch with one down, and Clemson inserted Scott Weismann, who didn't experience much success.

  Marzilli stole second when Merrifield struck out and took third on a throwing error.

  Following an intentional walk to Jackie Bradley Jr., consecutive singles from Walker and Adrian Morales gave the Gamecocks a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish.

  Hinson's triple opened up the Clemson eighth and drew the Tigers closer when Brad Miller's RBI groundout made it a 4-3 game. Clemson, however, would garner only one other baserunner for the remainder of the game, and Walker's nice fielding play at first on a ground ball from Jeff Schaus ended the game and sent the Gamecocks to the championship series.

  South Carolina began the second game with a run in the first to grab the lead. The Gamecocks loaded the bases on three consecutive singles to open the frame before Walker's double play plated a runner.

  Clemson, though, responded by tying the game on Schaus' RBI groundout in the third.

  The teams traded runs again, as Walker's homer leading off the fourth for USC was countered when Chris Epps scored on a throwing error by second baseman Scott Wingo in the seventh.

  06/26 22:53:36 ET