LSU handles weather delay and UCLA
LSU had UCLA right where it wanted following the bad weather which hit Omaha on Monday night.
The winners’ bracket game between the Tigers and Bruins ended up being impacted by rain. LSU has been outstanding in weather-delayed games this season.
Yes, the Tigers did lose starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson after just three innings. However, LSU had a two-run lead when the game restarted Tuesday morning to go along with its players’ experience in an abnormal situation.
The Tigers had the look of a championship team when their suspended game against UCLA resumed. LSU quickly padded its advantage and proceeded to knock off the Bruins 9-5 in the College World Series at Charles Schwab Field.
GET 3 MONTHS OF TIGERBAIT FOR ONLY $1-DOLLAR!!!!
The victory sends the Tigers into the championship round of their bracket. UCLA must return to face Arkansas in an elimination game Tuesday night. LSU will play either the Bruins or the Hogs on Wednesday night.
The Tigers can earn a berth in the CWS finals with one more victory. If LSU loses Wednesday, a winner-take-all game will be played Thursday. So, the bracket has turned into a best two-of-three series for the Tigers against either UCLA or Arkansas.
The first inning of resumed suspended games in baseball always set the tone. LSU won that inning Tuesday morning. Casan Evans had a relatively easy top of the fourth. He allowed a two-out single while striking out two batters.
Then, the Tigers hitters went to work in their half of the inning. With two out, Derek Curiel singled and Ethan Frey walked. Steven Milam and Jake Brown followed with consecutive RBI singles to put LSU on top 7-3. The Tigers would need no more runs.
Evans, who had a masterful relief outing against Little Rock in the final game of the Baton Rouge Regional, was in total control against the Bruins. UCLA did not get a runner past first base against Evans until the eighth inning. By that time, LSU had an 8-3 lead.
Evans was lifted with two runners on base and one out in the eighth. Cooper Williams, who had made two very good relief appearances in the NCAA tournament, caused some anxious moments for the Tigers.
Williams retired just one of the four batters he faced. Two walks and an infield single left the bases loaded and LSU on top by three runs 8-5. Chase Shores ended the threat with a first-pitch infield out. Shores threw a 1-2-3 ninth to register the save.
Shores had another run to work with in the ninth. Jared Jones delivered a two-out run-scoring single to put the Tigers ahead by four runs. Remember that Jones had hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first Monday night to give LSU a 4-3 lead.
The Tigers exhibited their depth during Tuesday’s six innings. Evans and Shores gave up two runs and four hits in 5.2 innings. Four players – Milam, Brown, Daniel Dickinson and Jones – had RBI singles. For the game, eight starters had at least one hit.
LSU is in excellent shape to reach the best-of-three CWS finals. On seven occasions, the Tigers won their first two bracket games in the College World Series. LSU did not advance to the finals just once – against USC in 1998.
LSU STARTERS
Derek Curiel: 1-for-4, 1 run scored
Ethan Frey: 1-for-2, 4 runs scored
Steven Milam: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored
Jake Brown: 3-for-5, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored
Jared Jones: 2-for-4, 4 RBIs, 2 runs scored, 1 HR
Luis Hernandez: 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Tanner Reaves: 0-for-1
Daniel Dickinson: 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Chris Stanfield: 1-for-4
LSU PITCHERS
Anthony Eyanson: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 K
Casan Evans: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 K
Cooper Williams: .1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB
Chase Shores: 1.1 IP
LSU 2025 CWS Crossbats Tee
from: Alumni Hall
LSU 2025 CWS Geauxmaha Trucker Hat
from: Alumni Hall
