LSU and Arkansas provided baseball fans with an instant Omaha classic late Wednesday night as the Tigers advanced to the Men's College World Series championship finals for the second time in three years.
Here is a play-by-play breakdown of all of the key moments in a game that featured five lead changes:
Top 4th
Up to the fourth inning, the SEC foes had combined for four hits and eight strikeouts. But Ryder Helfrick finally put the scoreboard to work, punishing a first-pitch curveball 417 feet to center field to put Arkansas up 1-0.
THE HOGS STRIKE FIRST鈥硷笍
鈥 SEC Network (@SECNetwork)
Ryder Helfrick gets things started for 馃悧
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Bottom 6th
To this point, Arkansas pitcher Landon Beidelschies was giving the Tigers fits, allowing two hits with nine Ks through five innings. But Ethan Frey doubled on Beidelschies' first pitch of the sixth before hitting Steven Milam in the box to put two on with no outs.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn went to the bullpen after Milam took his base, calling on Gabe Gaeckle, who went six innings with 10 punch-outs last Saturday against the Tigers. Gaeckle recorded two outs before Van Horn intentionally walked Josh Pearson to load the bases.
LSU head coach Jay Johnson pinch-hit Jake Brown with the bases juiced, and the red-hot pinch hitter delivered again, rocking a single to the left field gap to drive in Frey and Milam from second and third. Brown improved to 7-for-12 (.583) as a pinch hitter this season.
TWO THUMBS UP FOR TWO RUNS 馃憤 馃憤 x 馃帴 ESPN /
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The Tigers took a 2-1 lead, with runners on first and third. Brown went to steal second on the next at-bat before hitting the brakes in the other direction in an effort to get Pearson across home plate before being tagged out. But Cam Kozeal made a diving play to tag Brown steps before Pearson touched home plate.
Tag, you're it x 馃帴 ESPN /
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Johnson challenged the call, but it was upheld to end the sixth inning.
Top 8th
Down one, the Razorbacks loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, before the first of many game-altering errors gave Arkansas the lead.
Helfrick hit a bouncer to third, allowing the Tigers to start turning a double play. Charles Davalan scored from third, tying the game, but first baseman Jared Jones muffed the throw from second baseman Daniel Dickinson, allowing Wehiwa Aloy to score from second as the ball trickled behind him.
IT TAKES WHAT IT TAKES IN OMAHA
鈥 Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB)
The Razorbacks now led 3-2 into the bottom of the eighth.
Bottom 8th
Jared Jones was 0-4 with four Ks against Gabe Gaekle at the Men's College World Series, but during their 8th inning matchup, the first baseman finally got the best of Gaeckle, sending a middle-middle fastball over the right-center field fence to tie the game 3-3.
Let It Fly | ESPN
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RECAP: A timeline of the 6 biggest moments from the first two rounds of the Men's College World Series
Top 9th
Tie game, ninth inning. The Razorbacks have been in this spot before, and the bats came through as nine-hole hitter Justin Thomas Jr. ripped a single through the left infield, driving in runners from second and third to give Arkansas a 5-3 lead.
JUSTIN THOMAS JR. IS THAT GUY, PAL
鈥 Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB)
The Razorbacks were now three outs away from forcing a decisive elimination game on Thursday.
Bottom 9th
Chaos. Only four teams had overcome a multi-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning since the MCWS was moved to Charles Schwab Field in 2011. Now five.
After a strikeout to open the inning, Derek Curiel started the madness with a single before a throwing error moved him to second. Arkansas pitcher Cole Gibler proceeded to walk Ethan Frey, putting two runners on.
The next at-bat, Steven Milam hit a grounder straight to Wehiwa Aloy at short, which appeared to set up a tailor-made game-ending double play. However, Aloy opted to get the lead runner at third up two runs, keeping the Tigers on the field.
Aloy could have ended the game.... sheeeeesh
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Luis Hernandez hit a line drive to left on the next at-bat that ricocheted off Charles Davalan's shoulder to the left field corner, driving in Frey and Milam to tie the game 5-5. Hernandez reached second.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! 馃槺 x 馃帴 ESPN /
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Two outs, tie game, runner on second with Jared Jones back in the batter's box. In a 2-1 count, Jones reached for an outside breaking ball, popping it up off the glove and over the head of Cam Kozeal at second to drive in Hernandez for the win.
TIGERS WALK IT OFF x 馃帴 ESPN /
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The stadium erupted as the Tigers carried their celebration into deep center field, securing their spot in the championship series this weekend against the Chanticleers.
LSU's dramatic walk-off victory, from the roof 馃く
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Relive the Tigers advancing to the MCWS championship series 馃敟 x
LSU earned its sixth walk-off win in MCWS history, tying Texas for the third-most all time behind Oklahoma and Southern Cal with eight.
