Multiple momentum-killing plays end Tigers’ win streak
LSU coach Paul Mainieri is excited about tonight’s matchup for his team, especially after such a frustrating loss.
The biggest point of frustration for the Tigers on Tuesday: the third inning and failing to respond to Texas’ three runs after LSU second baseman DJ LeMahieu started with a triple off the wall in right field — that was just feet away from leaving the park as his second homer in as many days.
Texas pitcher Taylor Jungmann, who said he “bears down” with runners on base, would respond and get Ryan Schimpf to pop out. After a walk, Jungmann struck out Pflugerville’s Micah Gibbs and forced Mikie Mahtook to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
“That was very frustrating. He missed a homer by inches, and we had a runner on third with our 2,3,4 guys coming up,” Mainieri said. “That was a frustrating inning for us.”
It was a frustrating game for LSU. Another budding rally in the fourth was nipped by an amazing double-play turn between second baseman Travis Tucker and shortstop Brandon Loy. Tucker scooped the Derek Helenihi grounder while sprinting toward the outfield and made a no-look flip backward toward Loy at second.
“We had three innings like that, with a runner on and got out of that,” Texas coach Augie Garrido said. “Taylor worked his way out of that. The double play up the middle that Tucker started, that was a great play to end that rally. But it was also about quality pitching.”
It took momentum killers like the double play to keep the Tigers from clawing back into yet another game.
“It was the first time we have lost in 15 games. It is pretty hard to win in baseball, at least they tell me,” Mainieri joked about his team’s 14-game win streak that Texas snapped Tuesday.
— Austin Talbert
Free Willy — I mean Carlos, Texas’ new inflatable friend
The last couple of games have seen a new addition to the Texas dugout and bullpen. First spotted during the Arizona State series last week, Carlos, formerly known as Willie, is the inflatable killer whale accompanying Texas players in the bullpen and on the bench.
Renamed in homage to the baby in the hit comedy “The Hangover,” Carlos has been doing his best to give the Horns some good luck as they go in search of a seventh national title. He’s also served to keep players loose during stoppages like Tuesday’s 94-minute rain delay, during which he remained beached on the dirt beside the Texas dugout. He originally began his College World Series existence as a fan-amusement toy, but worked his way to the Texas dugout, where he seems to have found a home for at least one more game.
— Michael Sherfield
Somewhere over the rainbow … there might be a Harrah’s
There might have been a couple pots of gold in Omaha last night.
After a lengthy storm delayed the start of game 2 of the championship series, the weather atoned with two striking rainbows, one seemingly hovering over the other. With gambler-friendly Iowa just miles down the road — trust us, we ended up there trying to find the stadium — there might have been more than a few locals and baseball fans eager to try their hands while the weather pointed the way. We can only hope Harrah’s is still in business.
— MS
At home in Rosenblatt Stadium homering ‘Horns are lonely
The Longhorns have finally found their power in Omaha, but seem to have left their timing in Texas. The Longhorns have hit 13 home runs in the College World Series after hitting only 39 in the entire regular season, but 12 of them have been with the bases empty.
Cameron Rupp is the lone Longhorn to have had company in trotting the bases after his three-run blast against ASU cut the Sun Devil’s lead in half last Tuesday. He followed later in that game with a solo shot and another in the ninth inning in Texas’ 4-3 win on Friday to send Texas to the final series.
Meanwhile, Russell Moldenhauer (4), Connor Rowe (2), Travis Tucker (1), Michael Torres (1), Kevin Keyes (1) and Preston Clark (1) have all gone deep, but put only one run on the board.
— MS
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