Don’t roll the final credits on retiring LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri’s storied 39-year career just yet.
His team is refusing to let that happen.
Sterling relief pitching performances from freshman Javen Coleman and senior Devin Fontenot mixed with solo home runs from right fielder Dylan Crews and left fielder Gavin Dugas pushed the Tigers to 4-1 victory over NCAA Eugene Regional top seed Oregon Sunday night to force a deciding championship game Monday night.
Coleman, Fontenot and senior starter Trent Vietmeier combined to hold the mighty Ducks, whose first five hitters in their lineup hit .325 or better, to just four hits.
Meanwhile, six of LSU’s nine hits and all of the Tigers’ runs came from Crews (3 for 3, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored) and Dugas (3 for 4, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored).
Crews hit a solo homer leading off the eighth for LSU’s final run. Dugas cracked a solo shot in the fourth inning and had an apparent inside-the-park homer in the sixth that the official scorer ruled as a triple with Dugas scoring on the fielding error.
LSU (37-23) will meet the Ducks (39-16) again at 9 p.m. CT Monday night with the winner advancing to a Super Regional in Knoxville to play Tennessee.
Be the first to comment