OMAHA, Neb. — The Texas magic must have taken a night off. Despite enough chances to win the game, the Longhorns finally met an immovable object on the road to a national championship Monday night, losing to Louisiana State in yet another drama-filled post-season game. After a week spent clawing out improbable comebacks, the Longhorns fell victim to one.
They hit five homers and scored six runs off LSU starter Louis Coleman. They played perfect defense behind the brilliant Chance Ruffin, who shook off an early homer to dominate the scorching-hot LSU lineup. They held a two-run lead heading into the ninth inning. But they lost.
“It was an incredible game. There were two teams doing unbelievable things in an effort to win,” Texas head coach Augie Garrido said. “The team that lost would feel the wrath of baseball. We became that loser and now have to refocus for tomorrow.”
In a manner the Longhorns no doubt recognized, the Tigers fought their way back into the game after looking shell-shocked by the early Texas barrage.
While the Longhorns lived, and eventually died, by the long ball, LSU scratched out four runs over the final five innings to steal the opening game of the best-of-three series 7-6.
After a magical run that saw every gamble from Garrido pay off, the Longhorns’ luck ran out. Garrido pulled Ruffin with two on and two out in the sixth inning, citing cramps and a better matchup for lefty Austin Wood.
That decision quickly backfired, however, as the left-handed Jared Mitchell — who had twice hit hard line drives against Ruffin — hit a two-run triple, tying the game at 3-3.
“We played that card, it did not work out,” Garrido said. “In hindsight, if we could take the card back we would do that. Decisions that I made in managing the pitching did not work out.”
That pattern would continue, as the Longhorn bullpen faltered down the stretch. With the two-run lead re-established following another offensive power surge, Wood, Taylor Jungmann and Austin Dicharry combined to blow the save. Wood retired the leadoff hitter in the ninth, but allowed a key single to Sean Ochinko.
That compelled Garrido to bring freshman starter Jungmann into another relief appearence. The usually steely Jungmann threw six consecutive balls, forcing Dicharry to the mound with the tying run on-base. After striking out Tyler Hanover to bring the Horns within one out, Dicharry allowed a two-run double to DJ LeMahieu, tying the game at 6-6 and eventually forcing extra innings.
The rest will go down in LSU lore. After failing to push a run across in the 10th despite having the bases loaded and only one out, the Tigers and Mikie Mahtook finally found the telling blow, a two-out single in the 11th that scored LeMahieu.
Be the first to comment on this article!