Wow! LSU is going to the national championship series, thanks to a college baseball instant classic.
After losing their first game against Wake Forest earlier this week at the College World Series, the Tigers won three straight elimination games in three days to advance.
LSU beat the Demon Deacons 2-0 on a game-winning home run from Tommy White in the 11th inning following an outstanding, incredible and, frankly, unbelievable pitching effort from Paul Skenes and Thatcher Hurd. Now the Tigers will play Florida in a rematch of the 2017 national championship.
More to come throughout the night here on TigerRag.com.
In the delivery room waiting for our first baby girl, and #5 overall… Memphis just asked, “can we name her Tommy, mom?”… What a day! #GeauxTigers
— Jacob Hester (@JacobHester18) June 23, 2023
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Bottom of 11th Inning – Crews singled to left field (1-2 KSB); Minacci to p for Massey – White
| White homered to left field, 2 RBI (0-0); Crews scored |
Top of 11th Inning – Winnay struck out swinging on 2-2 count fastball cutting away at 95 mph; Houston popped up to ss to center field (0-2 KFF); Hawke singled to third base (3-2 BKKBB); Costello (Hawke stole second base) (Play under review – ruling confirmed, safe) (Johnson mound visit with Hurd with count 2-2 on Costello) walked on a full count; Wilken (leads nation in home runs with 31, ACC all-time leader in home runs) flied out to cf (1-0 B.
0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
Bottom of 10th Inning – Thompson struck out swinging in three pitches; Pearson flied out to right field; Milazzo struck out swinging, grounded out to c unassisted (0-2 SKS).
Top of 10th Inning – Corona lined out to left field at the wall; Johnson lined out to 2B; Lee lined out to center field.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors. 0 LOB.
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 heading into extra innings.
Bottom of 9th Inning – Dugas struck out looking (1-2 KBKFFK); Beloso fouled out to 3B; Jobert struck out swinging (3-2 BBBFSS)
Top of 9th Inning – (Hurd in to pitch for Skenes) Costello grounded out to 2B on first pitch; Wilken lined out to right field on full count; Bennett grounded out to 2B.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors. 0 LOB
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 after eight complete innings.
Bottom of 8th Inning – (Roland in to pitch for Lowder) Pearson walked on a 7-pitch at bat; Milazzo grounded out to p, SAC, bunt (2-1 BKB); Pearson advanced to second; (Walters to mound for conference – Massey in to pitch for Roland) Crews struck out swinging on 2-2 count on a elevated fastball 94 MPH; White intentionally walked; Morgan flew out to center field.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
Top of 8th Inning – (Skenes pitch count at 103 entering the 8th) Johnson walked on a 3-1 count; Lee (with count 1-0, after four-straight balls to Johnson, Jay Johnson wants to talk with Skenes on the mound) sacrifice bunt to 1B unassisted, Johnson advanced to second base; Winnay struck out swinging, reached first on a wild pitch (2-2 BKBFS); Johnson advanced to third on a wild pitch; Houston safety bunt, Morgan makes a phenomenal play with a short-arm flip to nail Milazzo at the plate, Winnary advanced to second base, Houston safe at first base (under review – call confirmed. WF has no more reviews); Hawke lined out to left field.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors. 2 LOB.
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 after seven complete.
Bottom of 7th Inning – Dugas walked after a 10-pitch at-bat; Beloso lined out to right field, Bennett slides coming in to make a great catch; Jobert struck out swinging on 95 MPH elevated fastball; Thompson struck out swinging on a 2-2 count.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB
Top of 7th Inning – Wilken struck out swinging (2-2 slider); Bennett flew out to right field; Corona struck out looking on a 1-2 count (Skenes’ 8th K of game).
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors. 0 LOB
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 end of 6th
Bottom of 6th Inning – Milazzo fouled out to 1B; Crews grounded out to second base; White doubled down the right field line; Morgan (WF pitcher’s mound conference meeting) lined out to 3B.
0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors. 1 LOB
Top of 6th Inning – (Skenes at 69 pitches starting the 6th) Houston struck out looking in three pitches; Hawke struck out swinging on 1-2 count; Costello grounded out to 3B.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 through five complete.
Bottom of 5th Inning – Jobert struck out swinging on 2-2 count; Thompson grounded out to 3B; Pearson flew out to center field on 2-2 count.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB
Top of 5th Inning – Corona flew out to right field; Johnson doubles into right center field gap; Lee (conference on the mound) grounds out to third base, Johnson stays put at second base; Winnay grounded out 1B unassisted.
0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 1 LOB
Game Line Score
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | R | H | E | L | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| LSU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 after 4 complete.
Bottom of 4th Inning – White flew out left field; Morgan struck out looking; Dugas singles to shallow left field; Beloso struck out swinging.
0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 1 LOB.
Top of 4th Inning – Costello flew out to Crews in right center field; Wilken flew out to center field; Bennett flew out to left field.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 after three complete innings.
Bottom of 3rd Inning – Pearson grounds out to 1B unassisted; Milazzo grounds out to shortstop; Crews grounds out to second base near the bag.
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB
Top of 3rd Inning – Lee struck out looking; Winnay singles to left field; Houston grounds into 5-4-3 double play (under review – call reversed. Houston safe at first, Winnay out at second base.); Hawke fouled out to 3rd base.
0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 1 LOB.
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 after two complete innings.
Bottom of 2nd Inning – Beloso takes on full count, walked; Jobert hits into 4-6-3 double play; Thompson grounded out to shortstop.
Top of 2nd Inning – Bennett grounded out 3B, great play by White and Morgan with the stretch; Corona struck out swinging on 2-2 count (ties Ben McDonald with 202 k’s in one season); Johnson struck out swinging (BREAKS Ben McDonald LSU and SEC Single-season Strikeout Record).
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB
LSU 0, Wake Forest 0 after one complete inning.
Bottom of 1st Inning – Crews singled to shortstop (WF challenge – call confirmed); White struck out swinging on a slider at 87 mph; Morgan grounded to 1B unassisted, Crews advanced to second base; Dugas grounds out to third base.
0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors 1 LOB
Top of 1st Inning – Hawke F8; Costello F7; Wilken struck out looking on a 101 mph fastball over the outside corner.
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 Errors 0 LOB
Paul Skenes will start for LSU.
Skenes has dominated opponents this season with 200 strikeouts in 114.2 innings and opponents hit just .171 while he compiled a 13-2 mark and a 1.81 ERA. Skenes is ranked No. 2 on LSU’s all-time single-season strikeouts list, trailing only Ben McDonald, who recorded 202 strikeouts in 1989.
Widely deemed the No. 2 pitcher in the nation, Rhett Lowder will start for Wake Forest.
Lowder leads the nation in wins with 15 and has not suffered a loss in his 17 appearances. He fanned 131 batters in 108 innings, with opponents hitting only .207, and logged a 1.92 ERA.
Geaux Tigers pic.twitter.com/BDcsIzvcPC
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 22, 2023
Pitchers, please stand to be recognized.#ThePowerhouse pic.twitter.com/am3BmilueQ
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 22, 2023
Come on out, Tigers! https://t.co/DxDp9CSblH
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 22, 2023
Will Paul Skenes – America’s Ace – pitch in the bracket final tonight against No. 1 seed Wake Forest with a CWS Championship Series berth on the line?
That’s the big question.
Will Skenes take the mound on short rest (four days, as opposed to his usual six or seven days) after throwing 123 pitches in LSU’s CWS opening game win over Tennessee in Omaha last Saturday?
Keep checking back . . . TigerRag.com will provide the latest updates leading up to the first pitch and throughout the game.
Almost Friday
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 22, 2023
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