OMAHA, Neb. — The LSU Tigers took an opening-round win in the College World Series from the Texas Longhorns, 13-5, Saturday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.
The Tigers pounded out 14 hits and left only two runners in scoring position. Five LSU starters produced multiple hits, and eight of the nine starters crossed the plate for LSU head coach Skip Bertman‘s 26th win at the College World Series.
LSU (49-17) wasted no time plating four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore Ryan Theriot continued to swing a hot post-season bat leading off the Tiger first with a ground rule double. Second baseman Mike Fontenot followed with a single before senior Brad Cresse sent a sacrifice fly to right-center field for his 105th RBI.
Junior Brad Hawpe lined his first pitch to the right field corner for his 36th double this season, tying the NCAA single season record, and giving LSU a 2-0 lead. Senior captain Blair Barbier followed with the Tiger’s first home run of the 2000 CWS, his seventh of the season, extending the LSU lead, 4-0.
Texas (46-20) answered offensively in the top half of the second inning with a solo home run by Longhorn catcher Sam Anderson. The first homerun of the season for Anderson saw the LSU lead fall, 4-1. Texas produced two more hits in the inning, but LSU starter Brian Tallet (15-3) was able to work out of trouble with the help of a double play to end the second.
The Tigers picked up in the bottom half of the second right where they left off in the first. Ray Wright reached base to lead off the inning courtesy of an error by Texas shortstop Todd West. Wright would later score on an RBI double by Fontenot, and LSU regained a four run lead, 5-1. Fontenot finished the game 3-4 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored.
Tallet would then settle down retiring seven straight batters before giving up a leadoff double to Texas first baseman Jeff Ontiveros in the top of the fifth inning. Ontiveros finished 2-4 and was one of only two Longhorns to finish with multiple hits. Texas produced a run as they had all season long. A fly ball to right advanced the runner to third base, and then a ground ball to second plated the second Longhorn run, 5-2.
But the Tigers responded as they did all game long. In the bottom half of the fifth, Barbier answered with his second homer (8) of the game and his third RBI of the game. The senior from Harvey, Louisiana finished 3-4 with four RBI and three runs scored.
Texas continued to try to creep back into the game in the sixth inning. Longhorn second baseman Todd West led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch by Tallet. An infield groundout to LSU first baseman Brad Hawpe allowed the runner to advance to third before Anderson sent a sac-fly to deep center plating his second RBI of the game and decreasing the LSU lead, 6-3.
The Tigers would bat around in their half of the sixth plating six runners. With two outs in the inning, Texas head coach Augie Garrido relieved starting pitcher Beau Hale (12-6) with junior Eric Tomlinson who walked Hawpe and Barbier on eight straight pitches plating a run. The next batter for the Tigers was designated hitter Wally Pontiff who walked on five pitches scoring another run. Pontiff was the last batter to face Tomlinson. Freshman Ray Clark came in for relief, gave up a two RBI single and a two RBI double to Harris and Witten respectively, giving LSU a 12-3 edge.
LSU scored their last run in the seventh with a solo homerun to left-center field by Fontenot, his 17th of the season, giving the Tigers a 13-3 lead.
Texas would plate two more runs in the eighth before senior Hunter Gomez shut the door on the Longhorns with 1 2/3 innings of relief work. Starter Brain Tallet worked a total of 7 1/3 innings giving up four earned runs and eight hits while striking out two and walking only one.
Next up for the Tigers is a winner’s bracket match-up against the University of Southern California on Monday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2 p.m., CDT.