LSU Beats Central Connecticut 6-5 in 10-Inning Thriller
The LSU Tigers used a walk-off single in the 10th inning to survive potential elimination in Eugene, Oregon against the Central Connecticut Blue Devils.
After seeing 119 pitches from Gonzaga's ace without scoring a run on Friday night, the Tigers only needed three pitches on Saturday to score their first run of the regional.
LSU freshman Dylan Crews hit a leadoff solo home run to give the Tigers an early lead. A single by Cade Doughty and a RBI-single by Tre Morgan put LSU up 2-0 after the first inning.
The Blue Devils answered in the top of the second inning, using five hits to score five runs on LSU starter Ma'Khail Hilliard. However, after that rally, the Tigers pitching staff did not allow another run to score.
Crews started the third inning with his second solo home run, and LSU's offense rallied for another big inning. Three hits, including a two-out RBI-double by Drew Bianco tied the game at 5-5 after three innings.
Both pitching staff's locked down after that point. Hilliard worked two more scoreless innings before head coach Paul Mainieri went to freshman pitcher Garrett Edwards out of the bullpen. Edwards allowed only two hits and struck out four over five scoreless innings.
The LSU offense had opportunities to take a lead late, but struggled to get a big hit. In the seventh inning, two runners reached with one out, but a fly-out and groundout stranded a runner in scoring position. In the ninth, a one-out double was stranded at third base.
Finally, in the 10th inning, LSU got the rally they were looking for, using a hit-by-pitch, single, and walk to load the bases with one out. Giovanni DiGiacomo had an extended at-bat, and, on the seventh pitch, hit the game-winning RBI-single to walk it off and give the Tigers a 6-5 victory.
With the win, LSU avoided going 0-2 in a regional for the first time since 1985. They will play in another elimination game against the loser of the winner's match between Oregon and Gonzaga on Sunday at 5:00 p.m.