OMAHA, Neb. (June 24, 2012) - Konner Wade threw his third straight complete game, Robert Refsnyder homered for the second game in a row and Arizona beat two-time defending national champion South Carolina 5-1 in the opener of the College World Series finals Sunday night.
Wade (11-3) limited the Gamecocks to six hits in a steady outing to help the Wildcats (47-17) move within a win of their first national championship since 1986 and fourth overall.
The Gamecocks (49-19) must beat Arizona twice to become the first team since Southern California in the early 1970s to win three championships in a row.
Refsnyder, batting .444 (8 of 18) in the CWS, went 2 for 3 and was intentionally walked twice. He hit a two-run homer off Forrest Koumas (2-3) in the first to give Arizona the lead, and he scored in the fifth on Bobby Brown's single to make it a four-run game.
