OMAHA, Neb. — In the bottom of the eighth inning of the College World Series bracket final, LSU?s Blair Barbier was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Cedrick Harris hit a two-RBI single to give LSU a 6-3 win over Florida State Thursday night in Omaha. LSU advanced to face Stanford in Saturday?s final at 1:30 p.m. for the national championship.
To begin the eighth, Mike Fontenot singled past McDougall at second before Cresse earned his first CWS hit with a double into a stiff breeze and off the base of the wall in left to put runners on second and third for Brad Hawpe. Hawpe was intentionally walked to bring Blair Barbier to the plate with the bases loaded. Barbier was hit by a pitch to drive in Fontenot and put LSU ahead 4-3.
Harris then came to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a single through the middle to score Cresse and Hawpe for a 6-3 lead.
LSU (51-17) will play for the national championship for the fifth time in 10 seasons Saturday. LSU has won 12 straight games overall and has a 28-13 all-time CWS record. The Tigers have never lost on Championship Saturday in Omaha.
LSU reliever Weylin Guidry (1-0) walked two and got the first out in the ninth to earn his first win as a Tiger, and senior Trey Hodges, winning of LSU second CWS game, earned his second save by getting the last two outs on a fly ball and a strikeout.
Florida State ended the season at 53-19. Starter Blair Varnes received the loss after pitching 8 1/3 innings and allowing six earned runs.
Florida State left 13 runners on base ? including nine in scoring position ? after getting at least two runners on base with one out five times before having the Tiger pitching staff and defense shut them down time and time again.
LSU starter Hunter Gomez got out of a first-inning jam unscathed, as FSU managed three consecutive one-out hits from its Nos. 2-4 batters without scoring a run. The Tigers benefited when John-Ford Griffin stumbled rounding third, allowing LSU to tag out Marshall McDougall in between second and third for the second out.
Gomez struck out the next batter to end the threat with runners on second and third.
In the LSU half of the first, Mike Fontenot walked with one out and stole second. After Brad Cresse struckout, Hawpe singled to right to drive in Fontenot from second and give LSU a 1-0 lead.
Gomez found himself in another jam in the top of the second, giving up a single and two walks before Hawpe stabbed a potential two-run double and tossed to Gomez covering first for the third out.
Hawpe led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to put LSU up 2-0.
Florida State loaded the bases with one out and threatened to have a big inning in the fifth, however, Gomez once again shut down the rally with a fielder?s choice and a ground out to end the inning and keep the Seminoles scoreless.
LSU added yet another run in the bottom of the fifth when Ray Wright bombed a solo home run into the 25 mile per hour wind in right field, the same spot at Hawpe?s shot.
For the fourth time, Florida State put at least two runners on base with one out, yet this time came away with its first run in the top of the sixth. Gomez hit the leadoff batter, and walked the next before getting John Halliday to strikeout for the first out of the inning. Brett Groves then drove in Florida State?s first run with a single to cut the lead to 3-1.
Billy Brian then entered in relief of Gomez and Cresse gave up a passed ball to allow the runners to advance to second and third. Brian walked the first batter he faced before forcing leadoff hitter Chris Smith to chop into a inning-ending double play.
Shane Youman entered to begin the seventh inning for the Tigers. He gave up a double to McDougall and hit a batter to put runners on first and third with two outs, but got out of the inning with a fielder?s choice.
LSU went to the well one to many times in the top of the eighth, as Florida State once again put runners on second and third with two out and, this time, hit a two-RBI single off of Youman to tie the game at 3-3. With Weylin Guidry facing McDougall, Cresse picked off Griffin on first base for the third out of the inning.