[batted balls]

Tempe, Ariz.--Brad Ausmus is definitely enjoying the College World Series. The same can't be said for Sean Lowe.

Ausmus hit a two-out, three-run homer off Lowe in the eighth inning lifting Ivy to a 7-5 CWS victory over Arizona State. The Eagles lead the best-of-seven Series two games to none.

"It's amazing the way the ball has been jumping off my bat," said Ausmus who was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs. "I picked the right time to get hot."

Lowe, meanwhile, has picked the wrong time to falter. The Sun Devil right-hander--one of the keys to the Arizona State bullpen during the regular season--has failed miserably in the first two CWS games. In Wednesday's game, Lowe first gave up a single to pinch-hitter Eddie Collins. Ausmus then blasted Lowe's first offering 441 feet down the left-field line for the game-winning homer.

"I've really let the team down the past two days," said Lowe. "We need to regroup quickly before things get out of hand."

Ivy built a 3-1 lead early on a pair of RBI doubles by third baseman Red Rolfe and a two-bagger by Ausmus. Rolfe, who did not play in game one, was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Arizona State, however, rallied for three runs in the sixth inning off Ivy starter Jim Beattie. Oddibe McDowell started the rally by reaching on an error by short stop Hughie Jennings. Beattie then hit Rick Monday with a pitch. Sun Devil catcher Mike Colbern lined a single to left, scoring McDowell. When Ivy left fielder Doug Glanville committed a throwing error on the play, Monday went to third and Colbern advanced to second.

After a mound visit by Ivy manager Bob Seddon, Beattie struck out Gary Rajsich for the inning's first out. Arizona State lead-off hitter Pat Listach drove home Monday with an RBI single to tie the game. After Hubie Brooks flew out, Bob Horner gave the Sun Devils a 4-3 lead with a sharp single to center. Following a walk to Reggie Jackson, Seddon replaced Beattie with left-hander Mike Remlinger. Bump Wills flied out to end the inning.

"Things were looking good for us at that point," said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles.

Things did indeed look bright for the Sun Devils as starter Eddie Bane continued to hold Ivy in check. Then came the fateful eighth. Horner committed a throwing error on Steve Yerkes' ground ball to start the inning. Horner's miscue allowed Yerkes to reach second. Bane then retired Sam Mele and Lou Gehrig before giving up an RBI single to Roy Thomas that tied the game.

"Give Roy Thomas credit for his clutch hit," Seddon said. "People will talk about what Brad did in the game, but Roy's hit was just as important."

Winkles replaced Bane withe Lowe. Collins, the 19-year-old recent call-up, greeted the Arizona State reliever with a line drive into the left-center field gap. Ausmus followed with his homer off a Lowe fastball.

"I left it out over the plate and he hit it hard," said Lowe.

There was still drama left as Arizona State mounted a ninth-inning threat against Ivy closer Dick Sisler. Wills drew a walk to begin the inning. McDowell drilled a double down the right field line sending Wills to third. After a brief mound conference with Ausmus, Sisler recovered to retire both Monday and pinch-hitter Barry Bonds on shallow fly balls. However, Sisler hit pinch-hitter Mike Kelly with a pitch to load the bases.

"I was trying to come in on his hands and jam him," Sisler said.

That brought up Listach, who was 4-for-5 and had hit a solo home run off Ivy reliever Chris Young in the eighth. Sisler earned his second straight CWS save when Listach grounded into a fielder's choice force out to Rolfe at third.

"I'd love to have that at-bat back," said Listach.

Following a day off for travel, the two teams will play game three at Eagles Nest Park in Bristol, Conn. Right-hander Paul Moskau (15-7, 2.35 ERA) will start for Arizona State. Ivy will counter with right-hander Ron Darling (12-6, 2.47).

Winning Pitcher: Mike Remlinger (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Eddie Bane (0-1)
Save: Dick Sisler (2)

Game Two Notes: In two CWS games, Brad Ausmus is batting .625 with seven RBIs . . . Pat Listach hit the longest homer of his career (394 feet) . . . Arizona State right fielder Reggie Jackson struck out two more times Wednesday, bringing his CWS total to five in just eight at-bats . . . A day after Arizona State committed five errors, Ivy recorded four miscues . . . To add further frustration for Arizona State, Sun Devil pitching held Ivy's 3-4-5 hitters (Sam Mele, Lou Gehrig and Roy Thomas) to a 1-for-11 day. However, that one hit was Thomas' game-tying single off Bane that ultimately led to the Ausmus game-winning home run . . . Sean Lowe has given up five hits and two runs while recording no outs in his two CWS appearances.

BOX SCORES Ivy @ Arizona State
Game #: 1622, (GAME LOG) , Wednesday, 10/6/2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ivy 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 7 9 4
ASU 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 5 13 1


Ivy AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
H. Jennings SS 5 0 0 0 0 1 .273 0 1
S. Yerkes 2B 5 1 2 0 0 1 .300 0 0
S. Mele RF 5 0 0 0 0 0 .333 0 0
L. Gehrig 1B 3 1 0 0 1 0 .000 0 1
R. Thomas CF 3 1 1 1 1 1 .333 0 2
B. Almon DH 3 0 0 0 0 2 .333 0 1
E. Collins DH 1 1 1 0 0 0 1.000 0 0
B. Ausmus C 3 3 3 4 1 0 .625 1 7
R. Rolfe 3B 4 0 2 2 0 0 .500 0 2
D. Glanville LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 .167 0 1
Totals 36 7 9 7 3 5

BATTING
Doubles: B. Ausmus (1, 2nd inning off Bane, 1 on, 2 out.) R. Rolfe 2 (2, 2nd inning off Bane, 1 on, 2 out, 5th inning off Bane, 1 on, 0 out.)
Homeruns: B. Ausmus (1, 8th inning off Lowe, 2 on, 2 out.)
Runs Batted In: R. Thomas (2), B. Ausmus 4 (7), R. Rolfe 2 (2)

FIELDING
Errors: H. Jennings, R. Rolfe, D. Glanville, J. Beattie



Arizona State AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
P. Listach SS 6 1 4 2 0 1 .600 1 3
H. Brooks DH 5 0 1 0 0 1 .444 1 3
B. Horner 3B 5 0 2 1 0 1 .400 0 2
R. Jackson RF 4 0 0 0 1 2 .000 0 0
B. Wills 2B 4 0 1 0 1 0 .333 0 0
O. McDowell CF 5 2 1 0 0 0 .333 1 1
R. Monday LF 4 1 2 0 0 0 .250 0 0
M. Colbern C 3 1 1 2 0 1 .429 0 3
B. Bonds PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
G. Rajsich 1B 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250 0 0
M. Kelly PH 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
Totals 41 5 13 5 2 8

BATTING
Doubles: O. McDowell (1, 9th inning off Sisler, 1 on, 0 out.)
Homeruns: P. Listach (1, 8th inning off Young, 0 on, 0 out.)
Runs Batted In: P. Listach 2 (3), B. Horner (2), M. Colbern 2 (3)
Caught Stealing: R. Monday (1)
Sacrifice Flies: M. Colbern (1)

FIELDING
Errors: B. Horner



Ivy IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
J. Beattie 5.2 11 4 1 1 6 0 94 61 1.59
M. Remlinger W 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 21 11 10.80 1-0
C. Young H 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 12 8 9.00
D. Sisler S 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 19 9 0.00 2 SV

PITCHING
Batters Faced: J. Beattie 31, M. Remlinger 5, C. Young 4, D. Sisler 6
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: J. Beattie 9-3, M. Remlinger 3-1, C. Young 0-2, D. Sisler 1-2
Game Score: J. Beattie 42



Arizona State IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
E. Bane L 7.2 6 5 3 3 5 0 103 62 3.52 0-1
S. Lowe 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 5 3 0.00
L. Gura 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 6 6.75
C. Swan 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.00

PITCHING
Batters Faced: E. Bane 32, S. Lowe 2, L. Gura 4, C. Swan 1
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: E. Bane 10-8, S. Lowe 0-0, L. Gura 2-1, C. Swan 1-0
Game Score: E. Bane 53



GAME INFO
Time: 3:33
Attendance: 44953 (45000) at Packard Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (57 degrees), wind blowing right to left at 8 mph
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Brad Ausmus (shown below)