OMAHA, Neb. -- If the first game was any indication of what kind of a championship series we'll have at the College World Series, it should be a dandy.
LSU gave up five solo home runs to Texas, yet were able to plate two runs in the top of the ninth to come from behind and send the game into extra innings, going on to a 7-6 win in 11 innings in the first game of the best-of-three championship series at Rosenblatt Stadium. Game two is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Ryan Schimpf gave LSU an early 1-0 lead in the first with a solo homer, but Texas had solo shots aplenty to counter the Tigers' early start, with Travis Tucker, Russell Moldenhauer and Kevin Keyes hitting solo home runs in the fourth inning to give the top-seeded Longhorns a 3-1 advantage.
LSU tied the game in the sixth inning when Jared Mitchel tripled home Blake Dean and Micah Gibbs, But Texas regained the lead in the bottom of the inning after Moldenhauer hit his second solo homer of the night and Keyes singled and came home on a wild pitch.
Infield DJ LeMahieu came up big twice for the Tigers down the stretch, though. His solo home run in the seventh pulled LSU within a run at 5-4, and after Connor Rowe homered in the bottom of the seventh, LeMahieu came up with a crucial two-out double down the left field line, scoring two runs to tie the game and send it into extra innings.
Reliever Matty Ott worked out of a ninth-inning jam for the Tigers, and the game stayed tied until the 11th when Mikie Mahtook singled with two outs to break the 6-6 deadlock. Ott worked a perfect 11th inning to seal the deal, giving LSU the 1-0 series lead.
LSU needs one more win to wrap up the national title, but Texas can force a third game by winning Tuesday's 6 p.m. battle. If the two teams need a third game to decide who wins the 2009 College World Series, it will be played Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Get your tickets for Game Two right now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.
Monday, June 22
Game 1 -- LSU 7, Texas 6, 11 inn. (LSU leads series 1-0)
Tuesday, June 23
Game 2 -- LSU (55-16) vs. Texas (49-15-1), 6 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24
Game 3 -- LSU vs. Texas, 6 p.m. (If necessary)
