Live Updates: LSU Baseball vs. Florida in Game Two of the CWS Finals
The LSU Tigers are one win away from bringing a National Championship back to Baton Rouge as they enter Game Two of the College World Series Finals against Florida.
After claiming a Game One victory, Jay Johnson's group has the chance to put the icing on the cake against the Gators Sunday afternoon and clinch the program's seventh title.
For the Gators, they face elimination, and with their backs against the wall, LSU expects a dogfight from this squad.
Here are a few pregame notes, what Jay Johnson said of the matchup and live updates from Sunday's showdown:
Notes
· LSU centerfielder Dylan Crews is No. 1 in the nation in runs scored (94); No. 2 in on-base percentage (.563); No. 4 in walks (68) and No. 5 in batting average (.423) … third baseman Tommy White is No. 2 in the nation in RBI (100), and he is No. 4 in the nation in RBI per game (1.59)
· LSU right-hander Paul Skenes is No. 1 in the nation in strikeouts (209), strikeouts per nine innings (15.33) and WHIP (0.75), and he is No. 2 in the nation in ERA (1.69) ... he is No. 3 in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.45), and No. 5 in hits allowed per nine innings (5.28) ... LSU second baseman Gavin Dugas is No. 2 in the nation in hit-by-pitch (31).
· The Gators are batting .291 on the season with 136 homers and 69 steals in 85 attempts … centerfielder Wyatt Langford is hitting .363 with 19 homers and 49 RBI; shortstop Josh Rivera is batting .361 with 19 homers and 71 RBI, and first baseman/DH Jac Caglianone is hitting .325 with 31 homers and 84 RBI.
What Jay Johnson Said
"I don't think we look at the game the same way people on the outside of the fence look at the game. I think we're facing a team that's won 53 games this year. We're facing a pitcher -- and that's all we've faced here with our bracket. It's got to be one of the best pitching brackets in College World Series history."
Pregame
LSU's Starting Lineup
CF Dylan Crews
3B Tommy White
1B Tre' Morgan
2B Gavin Dugas
DH Cade Beloso
C Hayden Travinski
RF Brayden Jobert
SS Jordan Thompson
LF Josh Pearson
LHP Nate Ackenhausen
Florida's Starting Lineup
2B Cade Kurland
CF Wyatt Langford
1B Jac Caglianone
SS Josh Rivera
C BT Riopelle
DH Luke Heyman
LF Tyler Shelnut
RF Ty Evans
3B Colby Halter
RHP Hurston Waldrep
*Refresh for Updates*
Live Updates
Top First
Nate Ackenhausen (LSU) pitching
Kurland: Single to shortstop
Langford: Walk, Kurland advances to second base
Caglianone: Groundout to first base. Kurland advances to third base, Langford advances to second base
Rivera: Strikeout
Riopelle: Strikeout
Bottom First
Hurston Waldrep (UF) pitching
Crews: Single to left field
White: Strikeout
Morgan: Groundout to shortstop, Crews advances to second base
Dugas: Double to right center field, Crews scores (LSU 1, UF 0)
Beloso: Walk
Travinski: Walk (loads bases)
Jobert: Groundout to second base
Score Update: LSU 1, UF 0
Top Second
Nate Ackenhausen (LSU) pitching
Heyman: Strikeout
Shelnut: Strikeout
Evans: Solo homer to left field (LSU 1, UF 1)
Halter: Fly out to right field
Bottom Second
Hurston Waldrep (UF) pitching
Thompson: Fly out to left center
Pearson: Walk
Crews: Single to left field, Pearson advances to second field
White: RBI single scores Pearson (LSU 2, UF 1), Crews advances to third base
Morgan: Sacrifice fly to left field scores Crews (LSU 3, UF 1)
Dugas: Hit by pitch, White advances to second base
*Wild Pitch: White advances to third base, Dugas advances to second base*
Beloso: Walk (loads bases)
Travinski: Reached first on fielders choice, Dugas out at third base
Score Update: LSU 3, UF 1
Top Third
Nate Ackenhausen (LSU) pitching
Kurland: Hit by pitch
Langford: Single to left field, Kurland advances to second base
Caglianone: Single up the middle, Langford advances to second base. Kurland scores (LSU 3, UF 2)
Rivera: Single to left field, Caglianone advances to second base. Langford scores (LSU 3, UF 3)
Riopelle: Strikeout
Heyman: Reaches first base on error at shortstop, loads bases
*Pitching Change: Gavin Guidry enters the game for LSU*
Shelnut: Strikeout
Evans: Grand slam to left field (UF 7, LSU 3)
Halter: Groundout to first base
Bottom Third
Hurston Waldrep (UF) pitching
Jobert: Walk
Thompson: Strikeout
Pearson: Walk
Crews: Hit by pitch (loads bases)
*Pitching Change: Blake Purnell enters the game for Florida*
White: Grounds into double play
Score Update: UF 7, LSU 3
Top Fourth
Gavin Guidry (LSU) pitching
Kurland: Walk
Langford: Single to second base, Kurland advances to second base
Caglianone: Reaches first base on fielders choice, Langford out at second base. Kurland scores on error at shortstop (UF 8, LSU 3)
*Caglianone caught stealing second base for the second out*
Rivera: Strikeout
Bottom Fourth
Blake Purnell (UF) pitching
Morgan: Walk
Dugas: Grounds into double play, Morgan out at second base
Beloso: Walk
Travinski: Reached on fielders choice, Beloso out at second base
Score Update: UF 8, LSU 3
Top Fifth
Bryce Collins (LSU) pitching
Riopelle: Single to center field
Heyman: Fly out to center field
Shelnut: Lined out to center field
Evans: Strikeout
Bottom Fifth
Nick Ficarrotta (UF) pitching
Jobert: Lined out to center field
Thompson: Fly out to center field
Pearson: Single to right field
Crews: Groundout to third base
Score Update: UF 8, LSU 3
Top Sixth
Bryce Collins (LSU) pitching
Halter: Double to right center field
Kurland: Hit by pitch
Langford: Three-run homer to left field (UF 11, LSU 3)
Caglianone: Solo homer to left center field (UF 12, LSU 3)
Rivera: Reaches first base on fielding error at third base
*Pitching Change: Blake Money enters the game for LSU*
Riopelle: Strikeout, Rivera stole second base
Heyman: Fly out to left center
Shelnut: RBI single up the middle scores Rivera (UF 13, LSU 3)
Evans: Groundout to pitcher
Bottom Sixth
Nick Ficarrotta (UF) pitching
White: Groundout to third base
Morgan: Groundout to pitcher
Dugas: Strikeout
Score Update: UF 13, LSU 3
Top Seventh
Blake Money (LSU) pitching
Halter: Strikeout
Kurland: Double to left field
Langford: Double down left field line, Kurland scores (UF 14, LSU 3)
*Pitching Change: Christian Little enters the game for LSU*
Caglianone: Out at first base, Langford scores (UF 15, LSU 3)
Rivera: Single to left field, steals second. Advances to third base on throwing error
Riopelle: Walk, advances to second base on wild pitch
Heyman: Strikeout
Bottom Seventh
Nick Ficarrotta (UF) pitching
Beloso: Popped up to left field
Travinski: Groundout to third base
Jobert: Hit by pitch
Thompson: Strikeout
Score Update: UF 15, LSU 3
Top Eighth
Christian Little (LSU) pitching
Shelnut: Walk
Evans: Single to right center field, Shelnut advances to second base
Halter: Fly out to left center
Kurland: Groundout to pitcher. Evans advances to second base, Shelnut advances to third base
Langford: Double to left field scores both Evans and Shelnut (UF 17, LSU 3)
Caglianone: Two-run homer to right field (UF 19, LSU 3)
Rivera: Groundout shortstop
Bottom Eighth
Nick Ficarrotta (UF) pitching
Pearson: Popped up to second base
Kling (pinch hitting for Crews): Single up the middle
Merrifield (pinch hitting for White): Line out to left field
Frey (pinch hitting for Morgan): Reaches first base on fielding error, Kling advances to second base
Dugas: Reaches first base on fielders choice, Kling out at third base
Score Update: UF 19, LSU 3
Top Ninth
Sam Dutton (LSU) pitching
Riopelle: Solo homer to right field (UF 20, LSU 3)
Talbott (pinch hitting for Heyman): Strikeout
Shelnut: Single up the middle
Prevesk (pinch hitting for Evans): Single to right field, advances to third on fielding error. Shelnut scores (UF 21, LSU 3)
Halter: RBI single scores Prevesk (UF 22, LSU 3)
Thomas (pinch hitting for Kurland): Walk, Halter advances to second base
Robertson (pinch hitting for Langford): Walk (loads bases)
Fabian (pinch hitting for Caglianone): RBI single scores Thomas and Halter. Robertson advances to second base (UF 24, LSU 3)
Rivera: Strikeout
Riopelle: Strikeout
Bottom Ninth
Nick Ficarrotta (UF) pitching
Beloso: Groundout to first base
Jones: Groundout to second base
Jobert: Solo homer to center field (UF 24, LSU 4)
Nippolt: Groundout to pitcher
FINAL: UF 24, LSU 4