Staff Reports
The LSU Tigers got an outstanding performance from starter Nick Ackenhausen and stayed alive in the College World Series with a 5-0 victory over Tennessee Tuesday night in Omaha, Neb.
LSU (50-16), the No. 5 seed, faces No. 1 Wake Forest (54-10) at 6 p.m. Wednesday. If the Tigers win, they will take on the Demon Deacons again at 6 p.m. Thursday with the winner advancing to the national championship series.
Wake Forest defeated LSU 3-2 Monday night. The Tigers are one of four teams left in the tournament.
TCU eliminated Oral Roberts 6-1 Tuesday afternoon. The Horned Frogs will have to defeat Florida twice to advance to the championship series. The two face off at 2 Wednesday.
Tennessee closed its season 44-22.
“Great game, great night for our program,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “It starts and ends on the mound, winning baseball. And the two big left-handers here executed at a really, really high level.”
Ackenhausen allowed four hits, walked none and struck out seven in six innings, his longest stint of the season.
Riley Cooper relieved Ackenhausen (3-0) with a runner on first and no outs in the top of the seventh and LSU on top 2-0.
With runners at second and third and two outs, Cooper induced a groundout to end the threat. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out two in three innings.
“Very proud of Nate,” Johnson said. “Maybe a surprise, from a name, from a starter but not a surprise performance. Every game he’s pitched in this year I think we’ve only lost one time when he’s pitched this entire year. I look for those things. He did a great job executing.
And Riley at this point is probably one of the most experienced pitchers in pitching in this ballpark and having success. He did his deal.”
Cade Beloso led LSU at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Dylan Crews went 2-for-4. His two-run homer in the top of the ninth gave the Tigers the 5-0 lead.
Tre’ Morgan went 2-for-4 with a double.