One inning sends LSU into CWS losers’ bracket

The only two teams who had been ranked No. 1 in the country throughout the current baseball season met in a College World Series winners’ bracket finals Monday night.

The winning team would be just a victory way from earning a berth in the CWS finals. As would be expected, LSU and Wake Forest waged a tight game for nine innings.

Ironically, a former Tulane catcher delivered the two biggest plays in the Demon Deacons’ 3-2 victory over the Tigers at Charles Schwab Stadium in Omaha.

Bennett Lee made a one-handed catch on a throw in the dirt and tagged out Tre Morgan, who was trying to score the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning. That defensive play helped Wake Forest keep the score tied at 2-2.

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Minutes later, Lee came to the plate with the go-ahead run at second base. Lee came through with a ground ball single through the left side which plated what turned out to be the winning run in the Demon Deacons’ one-run victory.

LSU has had its problem in one-run games down the stretch. Over the last six weekends, the Tigers have lost four of their five one-run games – against Mississippi State, Arkansas, Texas A&M and now Wake Forest. LSU’s lone one-run victory came against Oregon State in the regionals.

The Tigers are now 8-7 for the year in games decided by one or two runs. Teams are expected to split close games and that’s just what LSU has done. But, the Tigers are not built to win low-scoring games. LSU has won just twice this season when scoring fewer than five runs – 3-0 over Texas and Auburn.

The Tigers had their opportunity to take the lead in their half of the eighth thanks to a big hit by Morgan and a Wake Forest miscue. Morgan led off the inning with a double and advanced to third when the Demon Deacons second baseman misplayed Hayden Trevinski’s grounder.

With runners on the corners, Cade Beloso hit a ground ball down the third base line. Momentum carried the Wake Forest third baseman into foul territory. His throw to the plate was in the dirt. Lee made the catch and tagged out Morgan. Replay confirmed the close call.

LSU still had a chance to take the lead, but Gavin Dugas bounced into a 5-4-3 double play. The Tigers then watched Wake Forest not waste its chance in the bottom half of the inning.

Thatcher Hurd, who replaced Ty Floyd in the sixth, gave up a one-out, two-strike double. Then, Lee delivered his run-scoring hit on a one-ball, two-strike count. LSU went out in order in the top of the ninth.

Each team only had five hits. Each team took advantage of its opponent’s mistakes for its two-run inning. In the Tigers third, Josh Pearson walked and alertly moved to second base on a pitch in the dirt. After Dylan Crews struck out, White singled home Pearson.

Wake Forest gifted LSU the second run. The centerfielder did not cleanly field White’s hit allowing him to reach second. Then the Demon Deacons leftfielder lost Morgan’s line drive in the sun for a RBI triple.

Floyd was fantastic for five innings – giving up just two hits and striking out ten. But, Floyd walked the bases loaded to start the sixth when a generous strike zone suddenly shrunk. Hurd gave up a RBI single. A double play scored the second run as Hurd got out of the inning with a 2-2 tie.

Hurd pitched out of a jam in the seventh, but he was not as fortunate an inning later. So, the Tigers now must win three straight games to reach the CWS finals – beginning Tuesday night against Tennessee.

LSU will have its entire bullpen ready to go for this elimination game. For the Tigers to extend their season, the offense must put some runs on the board.

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