Auburn University Band members are playing songs of victory this summer, but not just for their beloved football team.

The group is celebrating the new band hall and practice field approved by Auburn University in a board meeting this spring.

“We have space set aside (for the new building), and we’ll start practicing on the new field this August,” said Corey Spurlin, associate director of bands and director of the marching band. “We’re at the architectural design stage and very early stages of development and fundraising.”

The current band building, which is located in Goodwin Hall along with the music department, was built in the 1970s to accommodate a band of 250.

The Auburn University Band now boasts 380 members and has outgrown the building as it has gained a national and international name for itself.

“Over the last six years, we’ve had the largest numbers total in our band program,” said Richard Good, director of bands. “The size has just gotten so big, and when you have to house uniforms, new instruments and props, we’ve just outgrown the place a great deal.”

Good also said the department has done decibel studies with the audiology department that determined the students are experiencing hearing loss when they practice inside the current band building.

The studies showed the band was generating such a loud volume in the confined space that it was close to the caliber of a jet engine on a runway.

“We need this size-wise and for recruiting purposes,” said Rachel Glenn, sophomore in music education, flutist and student band librarian. “A university of this size should have a performing arts center because if not, it really takes away from recruiting. Recruits think our program isn’t as good because we don’t have the type of facilities that other universities have.”

The decision to build the new band hall was also a result of Auburn University expansion.

The University plans to build an Office of Information Technologies building and a new parking deck on the Wilbur “Bodie” Hinton Field, Auburn Marching Band’s practice field, forcing the band to relocate.

Directors and staff quickly realized the new location of the field, more than a mile away from the band building, posed several problems for band members including a lack of shelter from the elements, transportation problems and issues with logistics on game day.

Shortly after this realization, the new building was approved by the University, and space was set aside for the building next to the new practice field.

The band still faces the task of fundraising. The project was approved for up to $15 million, but it’s up to the band to raise the bulk of it.

“Financially, we understand these are difficult times to be raising money, but this is a very important need for us to keep our band program where it has been,” Spurlin said. “We are going to face some major logistical issues in the next couple years before we have the building. That may hurt our program, so we’re hopeful that this is going to happen and keep us going in the right direction.”

Anne-Katrin Gramberg, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, gave the band $1 million to build a pavilion that will provide the band with shelter until the building can be finished.

The slogan and title of the fundraising campaign is “strike up the band,” which is taken directly from Auburn’s fight song.

Spurlin said a logo has also been created, and the band will start promoting even more once football season starts.

“There will be a lot of naming opportunities for potential donors,” said Good. “For instance, a person could donate ‘x’ amount of dollars and get the field named after them, or the pavilion or one of the rehearsal rooms.”

Daniel Johnson, junior in biomedical sciences and Kappa Kappa Psi member, said he thinks the facility will be something positive for current members.

“We’ve all put in a lot of work whether we’re in the marching band or not,” Johnson said. “Having the facilities to perform and rehearse in is going to be really helpful. I think our numbers in terms of quality players will greatly improve.”

Good said even after all of the money is raised, it will still be a long process with construction. He said he hopes to see it finished in seven years, though five or six would be great.

“I’m extremely excited and appreciative of the University approving the project for us,” Spurlin said. “I know it’s a time that may be difficult to raise money, but it’s a major concern for us, and we appreciate the University making it a concern for them as well.”

Auburn residents gathered on Wednesday for the long-awaited opening of Auburn’s first Publix.

“I’d rather shop at Publix than any other grocery store because there is a wider selection of products here, they have really good deals and employees are willing to help,” said student Danielle Ray. “I have also been able to find the organic products I need, and they also carry lactose ice cream, which is good for me.”

The 45,400 sq. ft. store located on Moore’s Mill Road contains grocery, meat, produce, dairy and frozen food departments. The pharmacy, bakery, deli and fresh seafood departments are all full-service.

“It’s not the largest Publix store, but it’s a large footprint,” said Brenda Reid, Media and Community Relations Manager for Publix.

Store manager Ed Hutton and other business partners greeted customers with flowers as they entered the store. The first 1,500 customers received a free Publix re-usable grocery bag. The first 25 customers who purchased $25 or more in groceries won a free bag of groceries valued at $25.

Customers were enthusiastic to cross the store’s threshold.

“I like how organized Publix is, they have an awesome deli, and it’s not hard for me to find what I need and more,” said Pat Cooper, one of Publix’s first customers.

The store had activities for children from 3-8 p.m., including a magician and balloon artist. Customers also registered to win a $100 gift card from Publix, a desert platter, deli platter and fresh products from the meat and produce departments.

Hutton said he thinks attractions like these will keep customers coming back.

“We have competitive prices here, a lot of buy-one-get-one, half-priced deals, and we double coupons every day,” said Hutton.

The process of bringing Publix to Auburn was not an easy one, according to Hutton.

“The funds to build a Publix are around $4.5 million, and the reason the construction process was put on hold was because of the constant rain.”

After beating No.1 Georgia to take home the Southeastern Conference title and the recent addition of three established recruits, Auburn’s Equestrian team is looking forward to what the 2010-2011 season has in store.

Coach Greg Williams said he thinks the team is in great condition to do well in the upcoming regular season and is looking forward to replacing some of what he referred to as outstanding seniors with talented additions to the team.

“I feel like we are going to be in great contention to win the SEC,” Williams said.

Quincy Hayes of Ontario, Canada, Cassandra Rae Stambuk of Yorba Linda, Calif., and Jennifer Waxman of Chagrin Falls, Ohio are the new freshman recruits.

“We’ve got a lot of really good Hunt Seat recruits that are really strong on the national level, and they’re definitely going to be good for us,” said sophomore Hunt Seat rider Anna Becker.

Bailey Dymond, a senior in the Western division, said the new senior class should be well-equipped to lead the team especially having riders in both Western and Hunt Seat divisions.

“Good seniors that set good examples help strengthen the team overall, so I’m looking forward to that because we’re pretty much all on the same page,” Dymond said.

The team has a strong away schedule this season, but Williams said this is something they’re all looking forward to. He also said the regular season schedule was going to be tougher for the team this year, but that this should be a positive reinforcement for how they do in the post season.

“For you to be a great team you have to win on the road as well as at home, so this will challenge us as a team,” Dymond said.

Both Dymond and Becker explained being away more will give the team a better edge entering nationals because of the number of horses they will be able to ride over the course of the season.

“It probably will be more beneficial because we’re going to get to ride a lot more horses that we’re going to most likely be riding at nationals,” Becker said.

Williams said forecasting nationals can be tricky because of split division competitions.

Looking at improvements from the previous season to the one ahead, Williams says that the key for this new team is going to be keeping a winning attitude. He explained that the talent was there and with a positive attitude to work hard, the team would succeed.

“There’s no doubt that we’re one of the toughest teams in the country,” Williams said.

Dymond agrees and said it is really important that individuals on the team support each other in order to keep the morale up throughout the season so that the team can do just as well in the SEC as well as at the national level.

“SECs was just a huge deal for us to win because we hadn’t won since 2004,” Becker said.

The Tigers will open the season Sept. 24 with a doubleheader against South Dakota University and Kansas State University.

Students with a passion for upgrading their cars have found a sense of community with each other.

Students such as Jamie Coker, a sophomore in electrical engineering, have seen a common interest benefit both their social lives and technical skills.

“There’s something to be said for driving a car you’ve worked on,” Coker said.

His 2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is a product of many hours working under the hood.

“All of the stuff I’ve done myself,” Coker said, referring to the Volkswagen’s numerous engine, exhaust and body modifications.

While Coker expressed great pride in the results of his work, he was adamant about his passion’s greatest benefit. The fellow enthusiasts he found in Auburn have proved to be great friends with common goals.

These friends have helped Coker pursue the latest trend in customization, he said.

“You lower it as much as you can,” Coker said. He also said adding suspension work can be complicated for customization novices.

“You need to be aware of what you are getting into,” Coker said.

Students interested in customization can look to local body shops when their desires go beyond their abilities.

“You have a lot of people who like to focus on upgrading wheels and tires,” said Warren Tidwell, assistant manager at Downtown Tire and Auto.

A 1967 Impala sat in the far corner of Tidwell’s shop having suspension, engine and brake modifications installed. Tidwell explained the overhaul involved a lot of work.

“You basically have to redo the entire front end, so it’s a pretty complex thing,” Tidwell said.

The complicated process of work was not lost on Coker.

“Learn how to do it yourself,” Coker said. “If you can’t do it yourself find someone who can help you do it.”

Coker said students attempting too great a challenge can be frustrated and cause the vehicle to become less reliable.

Professional shops can also provide engine modifications using tuningtools. These tools manipulate the air and fuel ratio in the engine to supply more horsepower, gas mileage and performance.

“Entry-level enthusiasts may want to start with smaller upgrades though,” Coker said.

Window tinting and lighting upgrades provide an immediate visual effect while requiring a small investment.

These cosmetic changes are a good first step for a student curious about learning to modify their vehicle.

“It’s a self achievement kind of thing, it makes you feel good about yourself,” Coker said.

For a more advanced project Coker recommends new wheels. His own set of wheels is Brock V2, a custom wheel company in Germany.

Professional mechanics also see a lot of interest in new wheels and tires.

“The most popular upgrade is the tire and wheel package,” said Charles Kerr, shop foreman at Downtown Tire and Auto.

Tires and wheels are popular because they can be upgraded for a range of budgets.

“You can go anywhere from $250 to $2000 depending on the appliqué on the wheel and the tire package you pick,” Kerr said. “The fancier you want to get the more you can expect to pay.”

Arkansas outfielder Brett Eibner is officially back–both at the plate and on the field.

After missing two straight games because of a hand injury, the Houston, Texas, native finished 4-for-5 with five runs, three home runs and seven RBIs during a 19-7 win against Grambling State at the Fayetteville Regional.

“He hit the ball extremely well the last couple of days in practice,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “The ball is jumping off the bat. It’s that time of the year when players play. That’s what it’s all about.”

The junior hit a two-run home run in his first plate appearance then took two bases and scored from second base on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Eibner then followed that with a three-run home run and hit another in his last plate appearance in the eighth.

“I felt great out there,” Eibner said. “More than anything I was excited to be out there and play after taking two games off.”

But Eibner wasn’t the only Razorback to go deep, as the Razorbacks hit a school record nine home runs in front of 6,305 fans at Baum Stadium. Arkansas first baseman Andy Wilkins, outfielder Collin Kuhn and catcher James McCann all hit two home runs in the power display.

“I’ve never seen that before,” said Wilkins, who hit the record-setting home run. “That was just unbelievable for our offense.”

Eibner was one of three Razorbacks in the first inning to hit a home run, as Arkansas jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. The advantage was just what Van Horn said the team needed without ace Drew Smyly on the mound.

“When you don’t throw your number one or two guy in game one, it makes you a little stressed out,” Van Horn said. “It’s a little nerve racking. I’m glad we got out to the early lead.”

Senior TJ Forrest started the game and allowed four earned runs while striking out four in 4.2 innings for Arkansas in front of 6,305 fans.

“TJ came out and for three or four innings did a really good job of moving the ball around in the strike zone,” Van Horn said. “I’m just proud of him because it was hot and tough on a pitcher.”

Razorback reliever Sam Murphy picked up his second win of the season while pitching 2.1 innings while striking out two and allowing one earned run.

“Murphy did a heck of a job throwing strikes,” McCann said. “He had the fastball working on both sides of the plate. He has done a heck of a job for us.”

After being down 11-1 heading into the fifth inning, the Tigers rallied and scored three runs by using RBI singles from first baseman Steve Kletke and outfielder Mychal Roby. Grambing State then added another run in the sixth to put pressure on the Razorbacks.

“A never say die attitude is what these guys have,” Tiger head coach James Cooper said. “We got off to a bad start. We knew if we could swing the bats we could get back in the game.”

But the offense wasn’t enough to overcome the early innings when Grambling State starter Odingo Davila allowed eight earned runs in 1.2 innings of work.

“It started off shaky,” Roby said. “The big inning in the first really killed us. We put something together in the middle innings. But we really needed to eliminate the big inning.”

The Tigers left 11 runners on base during the game, including several bases loaded situations that Razorback bullpen was able to work around.

“There lineup is very scrappy,” Van Horn said. “They just kept battling and had the bases loaded and a swing away from getting right back into it.”

Davila picked up his fifth loss of the season while allowing nine hits and two walks while facing 13 Razorback hitters.

“He couldn’t keep the ball down in the zone,” Cooper said. “They put some good swings on some pitches. When you can’t keep the ball in the park, you can compete in games like that.”

After averaging less than three runs a game in the last nine games, Van Horn said it was nice to see the offense use the whole field and take advantage of the hitting opportunities presented.

“I felt like we were in good hitters counts,” Van Horn said. “You can get geared up when you are ahead. We didn’t swing at boarder line pitches.”

But for Eibner, getting back on the field healthy–and picking up the postseason win–was one step closer to the ultimate goal.

“It was exciting for me to get back out there,’ Eibner said. “I don’t think I’ve hit three home runs before. But I’d rather be in Omaha winning a national championship.”

Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn knows the come-from-behind reputation the Washington State Cougars have earned this year.

After picking up a win with a comeback effort against Kansas State on Saturday in the eighth inning, the Cougars tried again by loading the bases in the eighth against Arkansas down 5-4 with no outs.

Enter Razorback closer Jordan Pratt.

The Harrison, Ark., native retired three straight batters to end the scoring threat and helped preserve the 6-4 win in front of 9,016 fans at Fayetteville Regional.

“Jordan came into the game and was lights out,” Arkansas starter Drew Smyly said. “It doesn’t matter what pitcher comes into the game, when you come in with bases load in a regional with no outs it’s tough. He got the job done.”

The junior?while facing the middle of the order?induced a fly ball out, recorded a strike out and another fly out after DJ Baxendale entered the game and allowed three straight hits and Geoffrey Davenport walked home a run.

“He came in and there he was throwing with a one run lead,” Van Horn said. “He had to go though the three, four and five hitters. It was just a great job.”

But well before the scoring opportunity was put together for Washington State, Van Horn said he just had a feeling the Cougars would try for the twentieth come-from-behind win this season.

“I knew they would try to come back,” Van Horn said. “That is what they have been doing all year. They did it against Kansas State and did against us. We were fortunate to have Pratt do an outstanding job.”

Pratt said he wanted to pitch well for his teammates Baxendale and Davenport, who both combined to allow a run, three hits and a walk while not recording an out.

“My adrenaline was pumping a lot,” Pratt said. “There is no better feeling than picking up a teammate. I’ve been in that situation and know how they feel. I was glad I could help them out.”

Washington State head coach Donnie Marbut said the team couldn’t have asked for a better situation, as the hitters who made plate appearances have had success this year.

“I’m proud of our guys for battling back and making it a game,” Marbut said. “You have to tip your hat because Pratt made pitches. We had the guys we wanted to have up. But it didn’t happen.”

Arkansas put together a two-run inning the in the first with RBI hits from outfielder Collin Kuhn and third baseman Andy Wilkins. The Razorbacks then scored two more runs?with the help a throwing error?to take a 4-0 lead after four innings.

Smyly, who pitched seven innings while striking out seven, allowing three hits and three earned, held the Cougars to just two hits throughout four innings.

But the second hit was a two-run home run by Cougar second baseman Cody Bartlett, which cut the Arkansas lead to 4-2.

“It was a nice lift because we were held to just a hit for four innings,” Marbut said. “The home run was big. We wanted to get his pitch count up to get to the bullpen.”

And Washington State did just that, as Razorback relievers loaded the bases and walked home a run in the eighth. But Pratt?who picked up his second save of the season?was too much for the Cougars, pitching two shutout innings.

“We always have a lot of confidence in Jordan because he is a great pitcher,” Kuhn said. “For him to come in to get that first out, it was huge and the fans got into it. He struck the guy out and we knew we just had one more out.”

FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE

Friday, June 4

Game 1 – Arkansas 19, Grambling State 7

Game 2 – Washington State 8, Kansas State 6

Saturday, June 5

Game 3 – Kansas State 9, Grambling State 8

Game 4 – Arkansas 6, Washington State 4

Sunday, June 6

Game 5 – Kansas State vs. Washington State – 2:05 p.m.

Game 6 – Arkansas vs. Winner Game 5 – 7:05 p.m.

Monday, June 7 (if necessary)

Game 7 – Both teams from previous game – 7:05 p.m.

Last season, the Arizona Wildcats came into the Women’s College World Series as the nation’s top home run hitting team, relying on the long ball to propel them through the NCAA tournament.

The 2009 Wildcats were promptly eliminated after losing the first two games in the tournament and were shutout in the WCWS for the second straight year.

The plan to rely on the long ball obviously didn’t work.

In 2010, facing elimination, the Wildcats finally found a way to break through in Oklahoma City, Okla., — the ground game.

And it’s coming from an unlikely spot in the order.

Arizona right fielder Karissa Buchanan, who hits in the ninth spot in the lineup, has been the spark the Wildcats needed to finally get on the scoreboard during an elimination game against the defending national champion Washington Huskies.

“Karissa got us going I think every time we scored,” shortstop K’Lee Arredondo said after the game. “We just put the ball in play and good things happened.”

Buchanan had a single and a walk, and scored two of Arizona’s four runs against Lawrie. Her single in the first was the beginning of a rally that would score two runs in the third inning against Washington and her walk would be the Wildcats’ third run to score.

Following Buchanan’s lead, Arizona pounded the ball into the dirt and saw success against two-time national Player of the Year Danielle Lawrie, who had shut down the Wildcat offense during three previous meetings in Pacific 10 Conference play.

“I told the kids that we have to make the ground our friend,” Arizona head coach Mike Candrea said. “You’re not going to sit in there and swing away and expect to do much against (Lawrie). You have to make things happen.”

Buchanan has been the one to make it happen in this years WCWS for the Wildcats. Arizona’s reacquaintance with the short game has been profitable, allowing the Wildcats to get runners on base and threaten big innings.

Buchanan’s placement at ninth in the lineup is something that Candrea purposely does to take advantage of her ability to get on base. The speedy Tucson, Ariz., native is batting .385 on the season.

“Buchanan has come up big,” Candrea said. “She’s like a leadoff hitter. She’s started a couple rallies today and has really been one of our hot hitters during the Pac-10 season.”

Her ability to extend innings allowed the Wildcats to turn over the lineup essentially gives Candrea four straight hitters with speed and the ability to be multi-dimensional with Buchanan, juniors Brittany Lastrapes and Lauren Schutzler and senior K’Lee Arredondo.

The short game has forced opponents to make defensive errors — Arizona’s opponents had eight combined errors on elimination Saturday and score the runs that have been missing from the Wildcats’ WCWS showings for two years.

The run production is something Arizona is going to need to stay alive as they again face elimination in the rematch of the opening round game with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Pacific time.

“Karissa really did get us going and you saw the short game had a little effect,” Candrea said. “If you put a ball in play I think your offense has a chance of producing some runs.”

Two days later, Cal baseball coach David Esquer still didn’t quite know how to explain Justin Jones’ performance against North Carolina.

“I don’t think it was just ‘one of those games’ because he’s never had one of those games,” Esquer said yesterday. “I think … he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, maybe trying too hard. It was pretty unusual … very unlike him.”

In Friday’s 12-3 loss to open the Norman Regional, Cal’s freshman ace failed to record a single out before being replaced – a postseason debut that, like the Bears’ 2010 NCAA stint, was all too brief.

Jones struggled from the beginning at Oklahoma’s L. Dale Mitchell Park. He started off with a four-pitch walk, a hit batter, and a three-run home run to North Carolina’s Dillon Hazlett.

Two baserunners later, Kevin Miller entered the game in relief – though he would not escape the first half-inning before the Heels held a 6-0 advantage.

Saturday’s elimination match versus Oral Roberts was not decided until the bottom of the ninth, yet the end result was identical. After the Bears scored a pair of ninth inning runs against the Golden Eagles to knot the game at 8-8, Cal was poised to take their first lead of the tournament. But with the bases loaded and one down, Danny Oh and Marcus Semien both struck out to end the top of the final frame.

“We had the game in our hands, and the conditions were right,” Esquer said. “Even contact would have scored us a run.”

Instead, it was Oral Roberts (36-26) that came up with the big hit.

With one out, Tyler Garewal took the Bears’ Dixon Anderson deep into left center field – giving the Golden Eagles a 9-8 victory and sending Cal home.

It was a heartbreaking way to end a valiant effort by the Bears, who reeled off five straight runs after trailing 6-1 in the fifth inning.

“In that situation, it was win or go home,” said right fielder Tony Renda, who had a team-high six hits on the weekend. “None of us wanted to go home. We had to dig deep and scrap some runs together.”

Cal (29-25, 13-14 in the Pac-10) began its comeback in the top of the sixth, as Chad Bunting followed up Brian Guinn’s solo home run with a two-out, two-run shot of his own.

Renda reached home off of a left field error to make it 6-6 in the top of the seventh. He had doubled to score Semien earlier in the inning.

Yet Garewal’s heroics made it all for naught, and Renda did not mince words in expressing his disappointment.

Asked what the Bears could take from their weekend experience, the freshman was blunt:

“We can take the feeling of getting beat – knowing what it’s like to go 0-for-2 and how bad that felt, and to use that as motivation.”

Tied 8-8 and facing elimination in the bottom of the sixth inning against Florida International University, Jason Brooks hit a grand slam to extend the season of the Dartmouth baseball team by at least one game in the NCAA Regional. Following Saturday’s 15-9 victory, the Big Green (27-18, 14-9 Ivy) will face the loser of the matchup between Texas A&M University and the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., in an elimination game on Sunday at noon.

Brooks was at the plate only because on the previous play FIU (36-25, 22-14 Sun Belt) first baseman Tim Jobe dropped a two-out pop-up by Chris O’Dowd, loading the bases and extending the inning . .

The win was Dartmouth’s first in the NCAA tournament since May 21, 1987, when the team led by All-American and 16-year MLB veteran Mike Remlinger defeated the University of Michigan, 4-0.

Like Friday’s game against Miami, Dartmouth’s matchup against FIU was another high scoring affair. The teams traded the lead six times before Brooks put the Big Green on top for good. FIU lost despite the efforts of sophomore infielder Garrett Wittels, who was 3-5 on the day.

Wittels recorded a hit in all 56 games the Panthers played this season. He is only two games shy of tying Robin Ventura’s NCAA record, but will now wait eight months to attempt breaking the record, as Dartmouth eliminated FIU from the tournament.

Along with Brooks, who had six RBIs on the day to go with his grand slam, Zack Bellenger ’13 led the Dartmouth offense with two home runs and three RBIs, including a game-tying shot in the sixth inning.

Captain Rob Young took the mound for Dartmouth, but like Kyle Hendricks yesterday, Young struggled against a hot-hitting lineup. In what was likely his final collegiate start, Young went two innings, surrendering six runs on eight hits. Facing elimination, Young had a narrow margin for error, and manager Bob Whalen brought in Cole Sulser ’12 in for the third inning.

Sulser (8-0) has been effective out of the bullpen all season for the Big Green and gave Dartmouth two strong innings before running into trouble in the fifth. Sulser was able to escape after allowing two runs, however, and pitched well in a crucial moment for Dartmouth. He would allow no further runs, and went a total of five innings, striking out four.

FIU got on the board early, as Wittels kept his streak alive, driving a double to right-center field to score T.J. Shantz. Young struck out Jeremy Patton and Mike Martinez to end the inning, as the Panthers took a 1-0 lead to the bottom of the first.

Dartmouth answered right back, as the two players who found the most success for the Big Green yesterday — Joe Sclafani and Sam Bean — combined to score the Big Green’s first run. Sclafani led off the game with a single, and Bean notched his fifth hit in his last six at bats, an RBI double that scored Sclafani from first. After a groundout from O’Dowd advanced Bean to third, Brooks sent Bean home with another groundout, giving Dartmouth a 2-1 lead.

FIU regained the lead thanks to a two-run homer by first baseman Tim Jobe in the second. Yoandy Barroso singled up the middle before Jobe put FIU up 3-2 with a home run to right. It was the sixth home run to right field in the two games Dartmouth played in Coral Gables.

Later in the inning, back-to-back doubles by Pablo Bermudez and T.J. Shantz extended the Panthers’ lead, and Wittels added an RBI single of his own to give FIU a 6-2 lead.

The Big Green mounted a comeback in the third, using a five-run inning to pull ahead. With one out, a pitch from Panthers starter Aaron Arbeloya hit Bean — his 26th hit batsmen of the season. After O’Dowd singled to left, Brooks followed him with a single of his own to score Bean.

O’Dowd then scored on a wild pitch, and Jim Wren chased Arbeloya from the game with an RBI single to right to make it 6-5. FIU manager Turtle Thomas brought in senior lefty Corey Polizzano to face Bellenger, but, with a runner on first, Bellenger took Polizzano’s 2-2 pitch deep to left-center to put Dartmouth on top, 7-6.

The Panthers drew level in the fifth with a solo shot from Barroso off Sulser. It was the first batter Sulser allowed to reach base except for Shantz, who reached on an error in the fourth.

Later in the inning, the number nine hitter, Sean Reilly, sent a 1-2 pitch from Sulser through the right side to bring FIU ahead once again, 8-7.

Bellenger responded for Dartmouth in the bottom of the fifth, hitting his second home run of the game to tie it at 8, setting the stage for Brooks’ heroics in the sixth.

The Big Green added three insurance runs in the seventh, courtesy of RBIs from Brett Gardner and Bean. Bean’s RBI double gave him seven hits through two games in the Regional.

Kyle Hunter closed out the victory, pitching the final two innings while allowing one run.

Dartmouth will be in action again tomorrow at noon on ESPNU where it will take on the loser of the Texas A&M-Miami game. Should the Big Green win again, it would face the winner of that matchup at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.