OMAHA, Neb. — LSU coach Paul Mainieri said he taught Virginia coach Brian O’Connor everything O’Connor knew — but not everything Mainieri knew.O’Connor appeared Saturday night to have learned well — but not enough to beat the teacher — as the Tigers squeaked out a 9-6 victory in front of a College World Series session two record-tying crowd of 24,904 fans.But it took all three of LSU’s weekend starters to do it, as the trio of sophomores Anthony Ranaudo and Austin Ross and senior Louis Coleman combined with junior Paul Bertuccini, sophomore Chad Jones and freshman closer Matty Ott to get the win.Mainieri used the trio knowing the importance of game one of the tournament, as LSU has never come out of the losers’ bracket to win the College World Series.”I don’t remember ever [pitching three weekend starters] in one game before,” Mainieri said. “But you have to take it one game at a time and do what you have to do to win.”The three weekend starters combined for 6 1/3 innings pitched, giving up nine hits and three earned runs while striking out six. It was the first relief appearance for Coleman since April 3 against Georgia. The Tigers won that game 8-4.Coleman said after the game he would be good to go if he gets the start on Monday, which he is scheduled to do.But it was LSU’s offense that helped carry the team to victory.”We were aggressive and played a great baseball game,” O’Connor said. “But if you play a team that’s as good one-through-nine as LSU, you have to make pitches in the clutch, and we didn’t.”Two long balls were the key ingredients to LSU’s offensive explosion of 14 hits.Both Toronto Blue Jays draft picks from LSU — junior first baseman Sean Ochinko and junior left fielder Ryan Schimpf — hit key home runs in the game.Ochinko’s three-run shot in the fifth inning came with LSU down, 4-3.It was his first home run in 37 LSU games after starting off the season on a tear with seven early.”It felt like 40 games,” Ochinko said. “I’m so happy. This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball.”But O’Connor knows his team had a chance to win the game, as they left 14 runners stranded on base.”We had a chance whenever we got Ranaudo out of the game, but we didn’t get the clutch hits we needed.”LSU will play Arkansas at 6:00 p.m. Monday. The Razorbacks defeated Cal State Fullerton, 10-6, in the first game of the day.
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