OMAHA, Neb. — Cal St. Fullerton pounded LSU starting pitcher Nate Bumstead for seven runs in the third and fourth innings as the Titans defeated the Fighting Tigers, 8-2, in an opening round game of the College World Series on Friday night in front of a Rosenblatt Stadium crowd of 23,135.
For the second straight weekend, LSU (45-21-1) has its backs against the wall in its quest to keep the 2003 season alive. The Tigers will face Southeastern Conference rival South Carolina (44-21) on Sunday at 2 p.m., with the loser becoming the first team to exit the eight-team field.
Cal St. Fullerton (49-14) advances to a 6:30 p.m. winner’s bracket game on Sunday night against Stanford (47-15), which beat South Carolina 8-0 in the first game of the CWS.
The game got off to a good start for LSU, as Nate Bumstead retired the Fullerton lineup in order in the top of the first inning. But the bottom of the first proved to be a harbinger of bad times for the Tigers.
Leadoff hitter Bruce Sprowl walked on four pitches, and then J.C. Holt bounced a full-count pitch past Titan shortstop Justin Turner into left field for a base hit, putting runners on first and second with no out.
Aaron Hill’s fielder’s choice ground ball retired Holt at second, but Sprowl moved to third and Hill reached first with one out. However, Fullerton starting pitcher Jason Windsor worked out of the jam by striking out Blake Gill and Clay Harris to end the inning.
LSU took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo home run by Ryan Patterson, but it would be the Tigers’ last bright spot before the Fullerton onslaught.
The Titans got the first two hitters of the third inning on base with an infield single by Kurt Suzuki and a walk to Jason Corapci, and a sacrifice bunt by Ronnie Prettyman moved the runners to second and third.
Bumstead uncorked a wild pitch to score Suzuki with the tying run, and then completed the walk to Turner, bringing up second team All-America Shane Costa.
Costa, the Titans’ leading hitter at .370 and the Big West Conference Player of the Year, then put the game away by tagging Bumstead for a three-run home run deep into the right field bleachers that made it 4-1.
Bumstead gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Boyer, and after Boyer picked up his 25th stolen base, he moved to third on a base hit by Danny Dorn and scored when a relay throw from LSU right fielder Jon Zeringue sailed to the backstop.
Bumstead retired the next two batters he faced, but failed to close the deal, yielding a a run-scoring single to Prettyman that scored Dorn, and then an RBI double to Turner to score Prettyman for a 7-1 lead.
Bumstead (11-4) lost his second consecutive start, giving up a season high eight runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. In three NCAA tournament outings, Bumstead gave up 16 runs in 21 innings.
Windsor, meanwhile, came out after 5 2/3 innings, but by then, the damage was done, as he gave up one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 11-2.
Cal St. Fullerton (49-14) 004 301 000– 8 9 3
LSU (45-21-1) 010 000 100– 2 5 1
Jason Windsor, Sean Martin (6), Chad Cordero (9) and Kurt Suzuki; Nate Bumstead, Greg Smith (6), Jake Tompkins (8), Billy Sadler (9) and Matt Liuzza.
WP–Windsor, 11-2.
LP–Bumstead, 11-4.
2B–CSF: Justin Turner (9), Kurt Suzuki (9).
HR–CSF: Shane Costa (5); LSU: Ryan Patterson (16).
T–2:56.
A–23,135.