OMAHA, Neb. — LSU is going to have to wait another night to potentially capture a national championship.
The Tigers’ offense went stagnant against Texas freshman pitcherTaylor Jungmann after the 1 hour 34 minute rain delay before the game began. LSU collected a mere five hits in a 5-1 loss against the Longhorns.
The Texas right-hander hurled a complete game, giving up no earned runs on five hits while striking out nine batters. He also had four three-up, three-down innings and kept LSU’s bats at bay all night to break LSU’s season-high 14-game winning streak.
The last complete game in the College World Series was June 19, 2006, when pitchers from both Clemson and North Carolina hurled complete games.
Texas coach Augie Garrido said the rain cooling down the temperature before the game played a huge factor in Jungmann’s performance.
“It helped Taylor be able to finish the game,” Garrido said. “He was brilliant.”
LSU junior right fielder Jared Mitchell said Jungmann worked his offspeed pitches well in the game.
“He changed speeds well and kept pitches down in the zone,” he said. “It made it tough for us.”
The pitching staff for LSU did its job — though starter Austin Ross lasted two innings giving up two runs on four hits — as four Tiger pitchers combined for seven innings of relief, giving up three runs on eight hits while striking out four.
Senior Nolan Cain and sophomore Daniel Bradshaw were the last two relievers for LSU, and they shut down the Longhorn bats, allowing no runs.
“Nolan did a phenomenal job and kept us in the ball game,” Mainieri said.
But the defense hurt LSU early, as catcher Micah Gibbs committed a first-inning error that was the Tigers’ first in Omaha.
Ross started off the game by walking Texas third baseman Michael Torres on four straight pitches, then Gibbs committed a throwing error when he overthrew first baseman Ryan Schimpf on a throw down to first base in an attempt to get the runner at first. It wasn’t the only error by Gibbs on the night, either, as the sophomore had a catcher’s interference in the second inning, his first interference this season.
Texas first baseman Brandon Belt later drove in Torres on a single through the right side of the infield.
“The start was terrible for us,” Mainieri said. “I thought we were fortunate to give up only two runs in the first two innings.”
Then the solo home runs fell for Texas in the second and third innings.
The first one came off the bat of left fielder Preston Clark, who finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI.
“I was just trying to put the ball in play and keep it up the middle,” Clark said. “It worked well.”
The second longball came off LSU senior southpaw Ryan Byrd, who lasted two innings, giving up two runs on four hits. It was hit by designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer — his fourth home run of the College World Series, which tied the record for most home runs in the CWS.
It was Moldenhauer’s third against LSU in the championship series and Texas’ 10th straight solo home run.
The home run gave Texas a 3-1 lead, and the Longhorns scored two more to take a 5-1 lead.
“The best thing to help a curveball is a four-run lead,” Garrido said.
The Tigers’ only run came on an error by Texas shortstop Brandon Loy that allowed Mitchell to score.
But even if Mainieri has started sophomore Anthony Ranaudo tonight, as many LSU fans had wished, it probably wouldn’t have mattered, as LSU stranded most of its few runners on base.
LeMahieu led off the fourth inning with a near home run off the right field wall that turned into a triple, but LSU was unable to bring him home.
In all, LSU left six runners on base.
“It was a frustrating night for us,” Mainieri said.
The Longhorns will pitch Cole Green on Wednesday night in the deciding game three.
Green has thrown 13 innings in two starts so far in Omaha. He has a 3.46 ERA with 14 strikeouts.
LSU will counter with sophomore Anthony Ranaudo, who has a 1.93 ERA in two starts with 9 1/3 innings pitched and eight strikeouts.
“We have one game left,” Mainieri said. “We have a chance to play for the national championship with our Friday night starter on the mound.”To recap the action from game two, check out lsureveille.com’s live blog.To read baseball beat writer Andy Schwehm’s “Extra Innings” LSU baseball blog, click here.For full College World Series coverage at lsureveille.com’s College World Series page, click here.—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]