LSU outlasts Oregon, 9-8, to advance to Super Regionals

EUGENE, Ore. – LSU erased a 7-6 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday night, and the Tigers held on for a 9-8 win over Oregon in the championship game of the NCAA Eugene Regional at PK Park.

LSU advances to face Tennessee in the NCAA Super Regional in Knoxville, Tenn. The NCAA is expected to announce on Tuesday the schedule for the super regional, which will begin on Saturday at 6 p.m.

LSU, which won four straight elimination games to capture the regional title, improved to 38-23 on the year. Oregon finished its season with a 39-16 record.

The Tigers’ regional title marked the first time since 1989 that LSU won a regional on the road. The ’89 Tigers won the NCAA Central Regional at College Station, Texas.

The Eugene Regional title also marked the first time in LSU baseball history that the Tigers won a regional after losing the first game of the tournament.

“Obviously, this was a tremendous accomplishment,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri, who earned his ninth NCAA Regional title as the Tigers’ head coach. “To lose the first game of the tournament and to come back and win four straight elimination games is an incredible achievement for our team.”

Right-hander Landon Marceaux (7-6), LSU’s No. 1 weekend starter, earned the win in relief, as he worked the final 2.1 innings and limited Oregon to one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Marceaux was the last of six LSU pitchers who contributed to the regional victory.

That's the ballgame#GeauxTigers | #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/Nf49cMFt8b

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 8, 2021

LSU entered the bottom of the eighth inning facing a 7-6 deficit, but the Tigers scored three runs against Oregon closer Kolby Somers (2-2). Leftfielder Gavin Dugas led off the inning with walk, and he moved to third on a double by third baseman Cade Doughty.

After Somers struck out centerfielder Drew Bianco, Dugas scored on a ground ball to first base by designated hitter Cade Beloso, tying the game at 7-7. A balk by Somers scored Doughty from third with the go-ahead run, and shortstop Jordan Thompson lined an RBI single to give LSU a 9-7 lead.

Oregon pushed across a run in the top of the ninth, but Marceaux retired third baseman Sam Novitske on a fly ball to right field with runners and first and third to end the game.

“I know a lot of people and counted us out after we lost the first game of the regional, but baseball is not an easy game to play,” Mainieri said. “Fortunately, we get to keep battling and go to Tennessee this weekend. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got, and hopefully we can be victorious.”

LSU opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Dugas launched a two-run homer, his 18th dinger of the season. Oregon tied the game with two runs in the second, and took the lead in the third when rightfielder Aaron Zavala unloaded a two-run homer.

The Ducks extended the advantage to 5-2 in the fourth on a run-scoring single by leftfielder Tanner Smith.

The Tigers, however, responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Dugas smashed a solo homer, and Bianco singled, stole second base, and later scored on a wild pitch by Oregon starter Andrew Mosiello.

LSU grabbed a 6-5 lead in the sixth when Bianco smashed a two-run homer, his seventh dinger of the year.

The Ducks regained the lead in the seventh when designated hitter Kenyon Yovan hit a two-run blast for his 17th homer of the year.

NCAA SUPER REGIONALS
GAMES BEGINNING FRIDAY, JUNE 11 – All times are Central
Note: Game times and ESPN Network subject to change

NC State (33-17) at No. 1 Arkansas (49-11)
5 p.m. (ESPNU), 2 p.m. (ESPN2), *5 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

No. 13 East Carolina (44-15) at No. 4 Vanderbilt (43-15)
11 a.m. (ESPN2), 11 a.m. (ESPN2), *2 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

No. 9 Stanford (36-15) at No. 8 Texas Tech (45-15)
2 p.m. (ESPNU), 2 p.m. (ESPNU), *2 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

No. 12 Ole Miss (44-20) at No. 5 Arizona (43-15)
8 p.m. (ESPNU), 9 p.m. (ESPN2), *8 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

The following four super regionals will be played Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13, with Monday, June 14 for if necessary or weather-delayed games.

GAMES BEGINNING SATURDAY, JUNE 12 – All times are Central
Note: Game times and ESPN Network subject to change

South Florida (31-28) at No. 2 Texas (45-15)
8 p.m. (ESPNU), 8 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU), *3 p.m. or 6 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

DBU (40-16) vs. Virginia (34-24)**
11 a.m. (ESPNU), 11 a.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU), *1 p.m. (ESPNU)
** Neutral site games played in Columbia, South Carolina

LSU (38-23) at No. 3 Tennessee (48-16)
6 p.m. (ESPN2), 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU), *3 p.m. or 6 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

No. 10 Notre Dame (33-11) at No. 7 Mississippi State (43-15)
2 p.m. (ESPN), 5 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU), *6 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

2021 NCAA Eugene Regional – All-Tournament Team

MVP – OF Gavin Dugas, LSU
INF – Zach Arnold, LSU
INF – Sam Novitske, Oregon
INF – Hunter Pasqualini, CCSU
INF – Jordan Thompson, LSU
INF – Ernie Yake, Gonzaga
OF – Dylan Crews, LSU
OF – Anthony Hall, Oregon
OF – Tanner Smith, Oregon
OF – Aaron Zavala, Oregon
DH – Kenyon Yovan, Oregon
P – Robert Ahlstrom, Oregon
P – Javen Coleman, LSU
P – Alek Jacob, Gonzaga
P – AJ Labas, LSU

LSU’s NCAA Regional Titles (25)
1986, ’87, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’93, ’94, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’08, ’09, ’12, ’13, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’19, ’21