The LSU Tigers needed another phenomenal game on Saturday to get to their seventh College World Series final. With a combination of Michael Papierski’s hot bat and Caleb Gilbert throwing six strong innings, the Tigers were able to beat Oregon State 6-1.
“I wish I could tell you that I went to bed last night and dreamt that Caleb Gilbert would give us seven shutout innings on one hit ball, and that Pap was going to launch one out each side of the plate and Beau was going to tommyhawk a 97-mile-an-hour fastball into the stands, but I’d be lying if I told you that” head coach Paul Mainieri said after the game of his team’s performance.
Papierski started things off for the Tigers in the bottom of the second with a three-run bomb to right field to get them out in front. Antoine Duplantis kept things rolling in the third with an RBI single up the middle to score Kramer Robertson.
Papierski struck again in the fourth with a solo shot to left field, becoming the first player since the College World Series moved to TD Ameritrade to hit multiple home runs in a single game. “I put some good swings on fastballs today” Papierski said of his performance, “And after that the wind helped a little bit.”
The final nail was put in by Beau Jordan with a solo shot down the left field line in the bottom of the sixth.
Caleb Gilbert improved to 7-1 on the year allowing one run in the top of the eighth. The sophomore allowed only two hits, walked one, and struck out seven batters in seven and a third innings of work.
LSU will now take on the Florida Gators in a best-of-three series. Game one’s first pitch is scheduled for 6 pm.
-Clint Domingue