By Chris Macaluso
LSUsports.net/AP
BATON ROUGE — LSU freshman relief pitcher Brian Wilson earned just his second save of the season by allowing one run in 1 1/3 innings pitched to help the first-seeded Tigers barely squeak by fourth-seeded Minnesota 10-9 in the opening round of the NCAA Baseball Regional at Alex Box Stadium.
The win improved LSU’s record to 41-19-1 while Minnesota fell to 39-20.
Wilson was one of four LSU pitchers used in the victory. Tiger reliever Weylin Guidry earned the win to improve to 1-3.
Minnesota reliever Jeff Moen took the loss, dropping his record to 2-1.
LSU took a 5-0 lead at the end of the second inning thanks in part to two throwing errors by Minnesota catcher Jeremy Beaulieu.
But the Golden Gophers cut that lead to 5-4 in the third on five singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly.
Minnesota banged out 18 hits in the game, 13 off of LSU starting pitcher Lane Mestepey who left the game in the fifth inning.
LSU designated hitter extended the Tiger lead to 6-4 as his 13th home run sailed well over the right field wall.
Minnesota shortstop Scott Welch tied the score at 6-6 with a homer of his own, a two-run shot in fifth inning to give him six on the season.
LSU took the advantage back in the bottom of the fifth when short stop Ryan Theriot drove a sacrifice fly to deep center following three walks by Minnesota starting pitcher Mike Kobow.
Kobow walked seven Tiger batters while recording just two strikeouts and allowing seven runs in 5 1/3 innings.
The Golden Gophers took their first lead in the sixth on a two-RBI double by first baseman Josh Holthaus to make the score 8-7.
LSU fought back in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs on four singles and an error by Minnesota center fielder Sam Steidl to make the score 10-8
Minnesota threatened to tie the game in the top of the ninth after Gopher second baseman lead off the inning with a double and scored on a Steidl single to cut the LSU lead to 10-9, but right fielder Jason Kennedy grounded into a game ending double play to end the threat.
LSU will play Saturday at 3 p.m. central against the winner of tonight’s game between second-seeded Virginia Commonwealth and third-seeded California. Minnesota will play the loser of tonight’s game Saturday at 11 a.m.
LSU HEAD COACH, SKIP BERTMAN
“I’m scared to go watch the next two teams play if that’s the fourth seed. That is a wonderful baseball team. Very well coached. We were very fortunate. One hitting that helped us was that we were very efficient in the first two innings getting the runs in from third and second and of course that made all the difference in the end.”
“Ray Wright throwing the runner out at the plate saved the game for us.”
“Every player in their lineup got a hit. Their is not an easy out amongst their nine. Anytime you pull your starting pitcher before the sixth with 13 hits and eight earned runs, its a game that we were fortunate to win.”
“I’m proud of the boys for swinging the bat well. They hung in there well. We took advantage of one error and several walks.”
“I thought his (Mestepey) threw some good pitches. Welsh’s home run was a good pitch and several others. But I didn’t think Mestepey had his best stuff today. But I wouldn’t take anything away from that offense.”
“As far as relief what we’re trying to do is piece-meal the final nine outs by using match-ups.”
LSU THIRD BASEMEN, WALLY PONTIFF
“I just wanted to swing hard. Last few weeks I’ve been swinging tentatively at the plate. I got the RBI in the second, and I got lucky in the seventh when the guy slipped. I can’t complain. A hits a hit.”
LSU FIRST BASEMEN, BRYAN MOORE
“With two runners on I was just cutting hard and fortunately I got a double off the wall.”
LSU SECOND BASEMAN, MIKE FONTENOT
“We had a great day at the plate. We pretty much got every guy in from third. The main thing I was trying to do was get the runner in and get some more runs because you never know how many runs you’re going to need.”
MINNESOTA HEAD COACH, JOHN ANDERSON
“Obviously we are disappointed. I said yesterday in talking with some of the media that one thing we couldn’t get involved in with LSU, an outstanding team, was not making plays on defense and walking people and bringing extra people to the plate. Eventually it caught up to us. I think that was the difference in the ball game.”
“We didn’t make enough plays on defense and made a base running error that really hurt us. You can’t make mistakes against good competition and have a chance to win the game. In spite of that, I was proud of our kids.”
“We were down 5-0, we responded with a four-run inning, and we kept coming after them. The team has been very very resilient all year. They have handled adversity very well. From that standpoint I’m very proud of them.”
“If we are going to win in this tournament, we are going to have to make more plays starting tomorrow.”
MINNESOTA THIRD BASEMAN, JACK HANNAHAN
“I felt pretty good at the plate coming in. I was a little over anxious, and I swung at some bad pitches. Overall, I thought we did all right.”
MINNESOTA FIRST BASEMAN, JOSH HOLTHAUS
“I saw the ball pretty well today. They threw a lot of off-speed, and I was looking for it. A pretty decent day at the plate, I guess you could say.”
MINNESOTA SHORTSTOP, SCOTT WELCH
“Offensively, I felt pretty good today. I had a good scouting report. They were throwing a lot of off-speed pitches, and we were ready, and we were sitting. As a team we hit the ball well.”
(On out-hitting LSU) “It’s a little frustrating, but all we can do is go out there with a good plan and keep trying to put the ball in play, and hopefully it will fall in.”
Quotes
Game 2: Virginia Commonwealth Hands Cal 9-7 Loss
By Chris Macaluso
LSUsports.net/AP
BATON ROUGE — Cory Bauswell went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in as second-seeded Virginia Commonwealth defeated third-seeded California 9-7 in game two of the NCAA Regional at Alex Box Stadium Friday.
The senior catcher opened the scoring in the game with a two-out, two run homer in the bottom of the first, his 10th of the season, and added another RBI on a single in the sixth inning to help the Rams advance to Saturdays winners bracket contest against first-seeded LSU.
Bauswells homer and single were two of 16 hits banged out by the Rams who improved to 39-17 on the season.
Californias record dropped to 33-24 overall.
Virginia Commonwealth relief pitcher Bo Acors earned the win improving his record to 9-2.
California starting pitcher Trevor Hutchinson took the loss to drop his record to 6-7.
California scored its first run in the top of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1, but Virginia Commonwealth got that run back in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI double off the bat of left fielder Kevin Elrod to make the score 3-1.
Second baseman Bryan Gillespie extended the VCU lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth when he scored on a ground out after singling to open the inning.
That lead stood until the top of the sixth when California chased Martin and VCU reliever Chad Baumann with four runs on four hits and one costly error to take a 5-4 advantage.
VCU went back on top in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs on five straight singles with two outs to take a 7-5 lead before adding another run in the bottom of the eighth and one in the ninth.
California scored its sixth run with two outs in the top of the eighth and designated hitter Spencer Wyman added the seventh on a long, solo home run to right field in the top of the ninth.
California will take on game-one loser Minnesota in an elimination game Saturday at 11 a.m.. Virginia Commonwealth and LSU are scheduled to play at 3 p.m.