6-run lead not enough for Leake, ASU

OMAHA, Neb. – Maybe it is his workload. Maybe tendinitis is involved.

Whatever it is, ASU All-American right-hander Mike Leake has not been right recently, and Texas was the blessed beneficiary Tuesday.

Leake gave up a season-high six runs in his least effective appearance of the season, and Texas overcame a 6-0 deficit after three innings for a 10-6 victory to remain unbeaten in the College World Series.

“I’m concerned. Mike hasn’t been himself. His elbow seemed like it was low. He wasn’t getting over the top. He might have a little tendinitis or something like that. I don’t know for sure,” ASU coach Pat Murphy said.

“He’s accomplished more than any pitcher in the country this year, and that’s why you feel for him. I hope he gives himself a break. This team doesn’t come close to bring in Omaha without Mike Leake. He hasn’t been in trouble all year. All year.

“It was our time to pick him back up. We didn’t.”

Texas catcher Cameron Rupp hit his second home run of the game to break a tie at 6 off Mitchell Lambson in the seventh inning, and the Longhorns (48-14-1) scored three more runs in the eighth to join LSU as the only undefeated teams here.

“To win that game was nothing short of a miracle,” said Texas coach Augie Garrido, who held a short meeting after his team committed two errors and a passed ball and had another bobble that gave ASU an extra base in the first three innings.

“I called them the 'Bad News Bears.’ We’d gone through those three innings like the Bad News Bears, but that isn’t Longhorn baseball. There is another team inside these uniforms. Even the Bad News Bears had a good team at the end.”

ASU will play an elimination game against North Carolina (48-17) on Thursday at 4 p.m. after beating the Tar Heels behind Josh Spence on Sunday.

The decision to start Spence then, Murphy admitted Tuesday, was an attempt to give Leake two more days to rest and recover from tendinitis.

Rupp hit a three-run homer to key a six-run fourth inning after ASU (50-13) scored three runs in the second and third innings to seemingly take control behind Leake, who hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in his previous 16 starts this season.

But it was apparent to the Longhorns that Leake was struggling early, even as he pitched out of jams in the first two innings, when Texas had two runners on base each inning.

“He didn’t throw one breaking ball for a strike. He left them down in the dirt. They are good pitches, but people are going to learn, and they are not going to swing at it,” Rupp said.

“When a pitcher is struggling to throw his breaking ball for strikes, he is eventually going to throw his fastballs out of desperation to get strikes. He just happened to leave one up and I ran into it.”

Leake, who was 16-1 with a 1.36 ERA in 132 2/3 innings entering the game, lasted only 3 1/3 innings.

He gave up three runs in 43 innings in May, but gave up four runs — three earned — in a 7-4 super regional victory over Clemson, raising a red flag, Murphy said.

Left fielder Kole Calhoun and catcher Carlos Ramirez homered for ASU, which scored three runs in the second inning and three in the third to knock out Longhorns sophomore Chance Ruffin, who lasted only two-plus innings in his shortest start of the season.

“When we were up 6-0, we might have kind of laid back. We were thinking we would be cruising,” Calhoun said.

“We have Mike Leake on the mound, and we’ve ridden him lots of times.”

Leake gave up six of his eight hits in the fourth.

“I couldn’t establish the (strike) zone," Leake said. "There were a bunch of things. There is so much going through my mind right now. I’ll think about it and put it behind me.”

Devils’ food

Turning point: Brandon Belt's two-run single in the fourth inning capped a six-run rally to tie the game at 6 and knock out ASU starter Mike Leake.

Stat of the game: Leake gave up a season-high six runs while failing to record a quality start for the first time in his 17 starts this season.

Unsung hero: Kyle Calhoun had three hits, including his second home run of the series, and scored twice while finishing a triple short of the cycle.

The Jungmann and the restless: Texas freshman Taylor Jungmann gave up two hits, both singles, one on the infield, in 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief to get his second victory of the College World Series. He pitched 2/3 of an inning in Sunday’s 7-6 victory over Southern Mississippi.