OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Jared Jones hit a go-ahead three-run homer before rain suspended play Monday night, freshman reliever Casan Evans pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings after play resumed Tuesday, and LSU advanced to its College World Series bracket final with a 9-5 victory over UCLA.
The Tigers (50-15) next play Wednesday night against the winner of Tuesday night’s elimination game between Arkansas and the Bruins (48-17). LSU, going for its second national championship in three years, needs one more win to reach the best-of-three finals starting Saturday.
LSU was up 5-3 at the end of the third inning Monday night when the game was suspended following a 2-hour, 53-minute delay.
The Tigers had Evans (5-1) take over for starter Anthony Eyanson when play resumed. Evans, who pitched the ninth inning of a 4-1 win over Arkansas on Saturday, limited UCLA to four singles and struck out five.
“Coach (Jay) Johnson had told me that once we got out of the delay that I would be on the mound, and then it got rolled over to today,” Evans said. “Just went back to the hotel and got ready for today. Woke up early. The mindset stays the same no matter when I come in the game, if I start or if I close. I was just going out there and doing my best to help my team win.”
UCLA had two runners on base with one out when Evans turned the game over to Cooper Williams in the eighth. The Tigers had to get through some anxious moments when Williams walked the bases loaded and the Bruins pulled to 8-5 on Payton Brennan's groundout and Blake Balsz's infield single. Another walk reloaded the bases, prompting Johnson to call on Chase Shores, who needed one pitch to get an inning-ending groundout.
Jones' RBI single in the ninth gave the Tigers a four-run cushion, and Shores pitched a clean ninth to send the Bruins to their first loss in seven NCAA Tournament games.
“Just seemed like we were swimming upstream a little bit most of the game,” UCLA coach John Savage said. “Continuation game. We put up three and then they put up four. Then they come out and do a good job with two outs in the fourth, and they got two there. And it seemed like we were just trailing a little bit from the mound, mostly.”
It was challenging for Savage to manage his pitching. With a spot in the bracket final at stake, he didn't hold back and used eight pitchers. A loss meant the Bruins had to play again in about six hours, so pitching depth was compromised.
“When you’re in the winners’ bracket, you’ve got to do everything you can to stay in the winners’ bracket,” Savage said. “Anybody who tells you otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about or has never coached. But I think we have some guys, clearly. We have about five or six guys that didn’t throw either yesterday or today. We’ll pick one, we’ll pick some guys out of that lot.”
The Tigers took a 7-3 lead in the fourth against freshman Wylan Moss, who gave up three hits and a walk and recorded only two outs.
UCLA starter Landon Stump (6-2) had gone to the mound for the bottom of the first Monday night with a 3-0 lead, but it evaporated when Jones' three-run homer put the Tigers ahead 4-3.
Jones' 21st homer of the season barely cleared the fence in right center and was the 63rd in his career, third most in program history.
“Offensively we just wanted to start the game on the right note,” Jones said. “We talk about winning every inning. Obviously they put up a three spot in the top half, so to win the inning we’ve got to put up at least four. And it just so happened.”
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
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