In Omaha, Neb., Cade Beloso belted a leadoff homer in the top of the 11th and Riley Cooper struck out two of the three batters he faced in the bottom of the frame as No. 5 LSU edged No. 2 Florida 4-3 on Saturday in Game 1 of the Championship Series of the 2023 College World Series.
“Great college baseball game,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “Two of the best teams in the country, a ton of execution by both teams from the mound. Great defensive plays. Really good, quality at-bats.”
Beloso went deep against Brandon Neely (2-3) for his 16th home run of the season.
“My prior at-bat he struck me out on three straight heaters,” Beloso said. “I figured he was going to go back to that. It was not pretty. And then the first pitch blew by me again. So I knew he was coming back with it; they weren’t going to switch anything up. Finally got one that I was supposed to swing at and put a good swing on it.”
Ty Floyd struck out 17 in eight innings in the start for the Tigers (53-16). He allowed five hits, one walk and three runs.
Cooper (5-3) gave up one hit over the final three innings with one walk and three strikeouts in earning the victory.
LSU got on the scoreboard in the top of the first. Dylan Crews was hit by a pit to lead off the inning. He moved to second on a groundout and scored on a base hit to left by Beloso to give the Tigers a 1-0 edge.
The Tigers loaded the bases with one away in the second before Brandon Sproat got a lineout by Tommy White and a strikeout of Tre’ Morgan to keep it a one-run contest.
Gavin Dugas (3 for 5) had a leadoff homer to left in the third as LSU went up 2-0.
The Gators (53-16) cut into the deficit in the bottom of the third. Cade Kurland drew a one-out walk, went to third on a double by Wyatt Langford and scored on a groundout by Jac Caglianone to make it 2-1.
In the fifth, Ty Evans doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning and scored on a groundout by Kurland to level the score at 2-2.
BT Riopelle smacked a two-out homer in the sixth as the Gators took their first lead at 3-2.
White (2 for 5) belted a one-out dinger in the eighth as the Tigers tied it at 3-3.
In the top of the 10th, Crews drew a one-out walk and went to second on a wild pitch. White was intentionally walked. Morgan popped out and Dugas flied out to strand a pair of Tigers.
In the bottom of the 10th, Colby Halter was hit by a pitch with one away. Kurland singled off Cooper to move Halter to second. Langford lined a ball to left on which Josh Pearson made a leaping catch. Caglianone popped out to send it to the 11th.