Mark Saltz/The Advocate

LSU outfielders Ryan Schimpf (16), left, and Mikie Mahtook (8) celebrate after Mahtook made a diving catch for an out.

It's still 4-2 after four.

LSU's offense went quietly in the top half, but Anthony Ranaudo got back on track in the bottom of the inning.

The Tigers' 8-9-1 hitters were retired in order, meaning not much rest for Ranaudo after his long stint in the bottom of the third.

Texas leadoff hitter Michael Torres inexplicably swung at the first pitch and lined it to center field for an out. Travis Tucker reached base with a one-out, opposite-field single to right, but Ranaudo escaped harm with a strike out and a ground out.

Texas' hitters stretched out Ranaudo in the third by fouling off two-strike pitches on almost every at-bat. But Ranaudo seemed to have better command of his curveball in the fourth in having an uneventful inning.

Mark Saltz/The Advocate

Starting right-handed pitcher Anthony Ranaudo (23) throws a pitch against Texas.

Texas scored twice to slice the Tigers advantage to 4-2 as LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo struggled with his control.

The Longhorns put the leadoff runner on for the third consecutive inning. Travis Tucker doubled into the left-field corner to start the Longhorn half of the third. Brandon Belt walked and went to first after temporarily losing track of the count, giving Texas runners at first and second with none out.

Russell Moldenhauer hit a scorching line drive to left-center field that LSU center fielder Mikie Mahtook ran down after almost misplaying the ball. Texas followed with a double-steal to put runners at second and third with one out, and Rupp scored Tucker with a ground out to short.

But Ranaudo issued three consecutive walks to force in another run and cut LSU's lead to 4-2. Brandon Loy hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Ranaudo has walked five, tying a single-game high this season. His pitch count is unofficially at 77 through three innings.

In the top of the inning, Texas head coach Augie Garrido took a page out of LSU head coach Paul Mainieri's book and brought in a new pitcher. At least for one inning, Garrido's decision worked out better than Mainieri's bullpen call did Tuesday night.

Brandon Workman came in for Longhorn starter Cole Green, who departed after giving up four runs and five hits in two innings. Workman took the loss Monday night, allowing Mikie Mahtook's two-out RBI single in the top of the 11th inning of LSU's 7-6 victory.

LSU's Sean Ochinko greeted Workman with a leadoff line-drive single to left. But Workman recovered, striking out Mahtook and Micah Gibbs after Jared Mitchell's fly out to left.

On Tuesday night, Mainieri yanked LSU starter Austin Ross after he gave up two runs in two innings. Mainieri's manuever didn't pay off as Ryan Byrd subsequently gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning to put LSU in a 5-1 hole it couldn't escape.

 

The Tigers added a run to make it 4-0.

Ryan Schimpf's two-out bouncer just to the right of second base scored Micah Gibbs to boost the LSU lead.

Gibbs led off the second with a line-drive single over the head of second baseman Travis Tucker. Gibbs moved to second after Derek Helenihi hit a chopper to third and was tagged out by Texas first baseman Brandon Belt after an errant throw. Gibbs reached third on DJ LeMahieu's two-out infield single before Schimpf's RBI single.

Blake Dean popped out to second to end LSU's half of the inning.

Texas leadoff hitter Connor Rowe reached on an infield single, but LSU's Anthony Ranaudo kept him stranded at first.

LSU jumped out to an early edge on a two-out, three-run home run by Jared Mitchell. His line-drive blast on a 2-2 pitch hooked just inside the right-field foul pole, and it was made possible in part by an umpires' conference.

With none on and two out, Blake Dean appeared to take a Cole Green pitch off the top of his foot. Home-plate umpire Perry Costello originally ruled the ball did not hit Dean, but Costello convened with the other umpires convened and subsequently awarded Dean first base.

Sean Ochinko followed with a single through the left side to put two on and set the stage for Mitchell's long ball.

In the bottom of the inning, LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo escaped a two-out bases-loaded jam without giving up a run.

Texas' Michael Torres led off the bottom of the first inning with a single through the center of the infield. With two outs, Torres moved to second on Russell Moldenhauer's chopper through the right side for a single. Cameron Rupp drew a walk to load the bases.

But Ranaudo struck out Kevin Keyes on a 1-2 high fastball out of the strike zone to end the Longhorn threat.

By RANDY ROSETTA
Advocate sportswriter

OMAHA, Neb. – Some basic info on LSU's College World Series celebration, which will be held at 4 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium regardless of tonight's outcome.

• There will be speeches from the team and other LSU and Baton Rouge dignitarie and a season highlight video.
• Gates open at 2 p.m. and the event is free to the public.
• All parking is free, except the Champions Lot which will be used for the team.
• Concession stats will be open and CWS souvenirs will be available.

With 12 minutes to go before first pitch, I'm signing off and letting 2theadvocate.com Sports Editor Rich Loup take the blogging baton.

By RANDY ROSETTA
Advocate sportswriter

OMAHA, Neb. – Lineups are in and there’s a fairly major change for LSU.

Junior first baseman Sean Ochinko is back in the lineup, not a real shock. The surprise is that he will bat cleanup, moving Micah Gibbs down to the seven-hole.

Ochinko has hit in the cleanup spot 14 times this season, but not since April 22 against Louisiana-Lafayette on April 22. 

Gibbs is hitting .333 in the CWS, but all of his eight hits are singles and he has only driven in three runs. Ochinko has only three hits in 14 at-bats (.214), but he smashed a key three-run home run in the opener against Virginia.

With Ochinko back in the batting order, sophomore Leon Landry will take a seat.

LSU’s batting order
1. DJ LeMahieu 2B (.348, 56 R, 13 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 43 RBI, 12 SB)
2. Ryan Schimpf LF (.336, 72 R, 19 2B, 22 HR, 68 RBIs, 44 BB, 18 SB)
3. Blake Dean DH (.332, 66 R, 18 2B, 17 HR, 70 RBIs, 50 BB)
4. Sean Ochinko 1B (.323, 44 R, 15 2B, 8 HR, 54 RBIs)
5. Jared Mitchell RF (.329, 62 R, 14 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 47 RBIs, 56 BB, 36 SB)
6. Mikie Mahtook CF (.319, 40 R, 7 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 37 RBIs, 9 SB)
7. Micah Gibbs C (.291, 56 R, 16 2B, 6 HR, 42 RBIs, 43 BB)
8. Derek Helenihi 3B (.265, 20 R, 2 2B, 4 HR, 22 RBIs)
9. Austin Nola SS (.239, 26 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 18  RBIs)
RH Anthony Ranaudo (11-3, 2.87 ERA, 119 IP, 155 K, 45 BB)

Texas’ batting order
1. Michael Torres 3B (.296, 36 R, 10 2B, 5 HR, 33 RBIs, 12 SB)
2. Travis Tucker 2B (.295, 51 R, 11 2B, 3 HR, 30 RBIs, 12 SB)
3. Brandon Belt 1B (.329, 46 R, 17 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 43 RBIs, 14 SB)
4. Russell Moldenhauer DH (.263, 10 R, 5 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBIs)
5. Cameron Rupp C (.292, 45 R, 13 2B, 11 HR, 45 RBIs)
6. Kevin Keyes RF (.305, 45 R, 17 2B, 8 HR, 44 RBIs, 9 SB)
7. Connor Rowe CF (.278, 32 R, 6 2B, 8 HR, 39 RBIs)
8. Preston Clark LF (.278, 24 R, 13 2B, 3 HR, 26 RBIs,)
9. Brandon Loy SS (.293, 34 R, 8 2B, 30 RBIs, 9 SB)
RH Cole Green (5-3, 3.07 ERA, 108 1/3 IP, 84 K, 34 BB)
 

By RANDY ROSETTA
Advocate sportswriter

OMAHA, Neb. – If LSU coach Paul Mainieri is uptight prior to tonight’s decisive third decisive third game in the championship round of the College World Series, he’s certainly hiding it well.

He went out to the left-field bleachers and greeted a large group of Tigers fans for several minutes while LSU took batting practice. He even caught a few strands of beads and wore them for a little while.

• A quick walk up souvenir row on 13th Street (with a stop at Zesto’s for a cheeseburger and chocolate malt) revealed that most of the vendors already have boxes of championship T-shirts ready to be opened and peddled to whichever fan base gets the chance.
• The Tigers will be in their yellow-gold jerseys again for the final game.
• Just a reminder, LSU will be the visiting team tonight because of a lost coin flip Friday night.
• Some leftover quotes from Mainieri after the Tigers’ 5-1 loss to Texas Tuesday that forced tonight’s decisive third game in the championship round of the College World Series.

 “The kid that pitched for them (Tuesday) obviously had something to say about us having to stay around for another day.”

-- On Texas pitcher Taylor Jungmann’s complete-game five-hit performance.

“I wanted to change the momentum of the game. They had some left-handed hitters coming up and (Ryan) Byrd is so different from what (Austin) Ross does. I thought he could sneak us through a few innings. Obviously it didn’t work out that way."

-- On why he brought Byrd into the game in the third inning instead of Nolan Cain, who had warmed up when Ross ran into trouble. Cain threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings after taking over for Byrd, but not until UT had built its lead to 5-1.

“If we found something we wouldn’t share it with you. “I’d rather have (Ryan) Schimpf up here to give away our secrets.”

-- With tongue-in-cheek after a reporter asked about whether Cain’s and Daniel Bradshaw’s stout relief pitching gave them any insight on how to slow Texas down in tonight’s game. Schimpf famously gave away a steal signal after the Tigers’ 10-2 victory over Southern in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Taylor Jungmann finished off LSU, putting a bow on his complete-game, nine-strikeout performance for a 5-1 Texas victory.

The two teams will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday for a winner-take-all game for the national championship.

LSU's Micah Gibbs led off the bottom of the ninth with a single through the left side of the infield. Mikie Mahtook struck out on a high fastball for the first out. Jared Mitchell bounced to third on a bang-bang play at first for the second out. Gibbs moved to third on a balk.

But Jungmann struck out Leon Landry to end the game and notch the first complete game of his college career. Jungmann allowed five hits and two walks while striking out nine.

LSU's Daniel Bradshaw finished up a spotless three-inning peformance, working around a single and a hit batter to keep Texas off the scoreboard in the top of the inning.

Brandon Belt led off the top of the inning with a sharp, line-drive single to right off LSU's Daniel Bradshaw. But the Tigers erased Belt on a 3-6-3 double play.

Bradshaw and Nolan Cain combined for 6 1/3 shutout innings of relief. But those performances came too little, too late for LSU.

LSU is down to its last three outs in the ninth for the second consecutive night as Texas has maintained a 5-1 lead.

Unlike Monday night, the Tigers will need more than the two runs they scored in the ninth to force extra innings en route to their 7-6, 11-inning victory.

Taylor Jungmann has gone all the way for the Longhorns, and this outing is his longest of the season.

In the bottom of the inning, DJ LeMahieu reached base on a one-out error by Texas shortstop Brandon Loy. The miscue was Loy's second of the night. His misplay to his left side kicked the ball into center field, and it was similar to the error he committed in the third that scored LSU's lone run to this point.

But Ryan Schimpf grounded weakly to third, and Blake Dean popped up to first in foul territory to end LSU's half of the inning.

Tiger reliever Daniel Bradshaw posted another zero, surviving a one-out infield single by Loy.

Tiger shortstop Austin Nola made a visually appealing over-the-shoulder catch in left field for the first out in the top of the inning.

Note
I might be a few minutes late with the ninth-inning post, unless the game goes into extra innings. I have to tend to our other online obligations before I can post the summary of the last inning.

Thanks for your patience and understanding on this, and we hope you've enjoyed our in-game blog posts.