(photo by Craig Jackson, @leftfieldlounge)
In Omaha, Neb., Alex Lange and Zack Hess combined on a two-hitter as No. 4 LSU defeated top-seeded Oregon State 3-1 Friday afternoon in the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park to snap the Beavers’ 23-game win streak.
The Tigers (51-18) will face the Beavers (56-5) again on Saturday, with the winner advancing to next week’s CWS Championship Series.
Lange (10-5) worked 7.1 innings with two hits, one run, four walks and eight strikeouts to record the victory. Hess worked the final 1.2 hitless innings with four punchouts to register his fourth save.
LSU scored all the runs it would need in the second. Greg Deichmann had a leadoff double and moved to third on a base hit by Zach Watson (3 for 3). Josh Smith (2 for 4) singled up the middle to drive in Deichmann and send Watson to third. Beau Jordan laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate Watson and give the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.
OSU cut the deficit in half in the third. Michael Gretler had a one-out double and eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk to Trevor Larnach to make it 2-1. Lange fanned KJ Harrison to lead the bases loaded.
The Tigers picked up an insurance run in the seventh when Smith belted a leadoff homer to make it 3-1.
The final 13 Beavers were set down in order.
Jake Thompson (14-1, 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) suffered his first loss of the season.