LSU achieved a 5-2 victory over the No. 1 national seed Wake Forest in the College World Series, forcing a second bracket final between the two teams. Cade Beloso played a crucial role for LSU, hitting a go-ahead three-run homer in the game. Freshman pitcher Griffin Herring delivered an impressive performance, pitching 4 2/3 shutout innings in relief, his longest outing yet.
The winner of the rematch between LSU and Wake Forest will advance to face Florida in the best-of-three championship series, scheduled to start on Saturday. The LSU Tigers are aiming for a rematch of the 2017 finals, which Florida won.
Wake Forest, who hadn’t lost consecutive games all season, will look to bounce back from their first loss in the NCAA Tournament. They are aiming to reach the championship round in their first College World Series appearance since their national title win in 1955.
The coaches have not announced the starting pitchers for the rematch, but the aces Paul Skenes of LSU and Rhett Lowder of Wake Forest have not been ruled out.
Wake Forest has experienced difficulties with their offense in the College World Series, with limited runs and home runs compared to their earlier NCAA Tournament games played at home. The team has struggled to adapt to the dimensions and conditions of the ballpark, with the wind blowing in for the past few days.
In the previous game, LSU managed to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the third inning, with Dylan Crews scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game, followed by Cade Beloso’s three-run homer. LSU’s Griffin Herring provided outstanding relief pitching, shutting down Wake Forest’s strong offense.
The winner of the LSU-Wake Forest rematch will advance to the championship series, facing Florida. Both teams will be determined to secure their spot in the final and continue their pursuit of the College World Series title.
Photo credit – CWS Omaha, Inc. / CWSOmaha.com / Omaha, NE
