LSU already won a game at the Eugene regional on a walk-off, but Monday's result could more appropriately be described as a balk-off.
The Tigers finally get to go home, but as champions, winning their fourth consecutive elimination game 9-8, the final two of which came against top-seeded Oregon.
The back-and-forth affair turned on its head in the 8th inning with Oregon's Kolby Somers taking the mound for his second inning of work and immediately running into trouble. The Ducks' closer walked Gavin Dugas after a long at-bat to lead off the inning. Then it was Cade Doughty's bounding double over the first baseman's head that set up the Tigers with runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out and trailing 7-6. That's where things really turned bizarre.
After a Drew Bianco strikeout, Cade Beloso hit a bouncing ball to Ducks first baseman Gabe Matthews, who threw home. But Dugas took advantage of a fast jump from third and slid got under the tag from catcher Sam Olsson to tie the game at 7-all. LSU shortstop Jordan Thompson arrived at the plate next and immediately squared to bunt, prompting Somers to repeatedly throw over to first despite no apparent threat to steal by Beloso. The final pickoff attempt resulted in a balk that plated Doughty for the go-ahead run.
"A lot of emotions, I'll tell you that," Dugas said. "It's almost to be a part of and I love this team, I really do. ... We're gonna do great things.
Thompson delivered a hit to score pinch runner Will Safford, securing what turned out to be the winning margin.
But it was far from a simple night for the Tigers, which utilized six pitchers in an all-hands approach that ended with ace Landon Marceaux closing out the Eugene regional he began on the mound Friday night.
LSU's parade of pitchers started with senior Ma'Khail Hilliard, who threw a clean first inning on short rest. From there things went sideways on the mound.
Dugas' first home run of the game pinned LSU to an early 2-run lead, but that evaporated quickly. Ty Floyd allowed two runs in his lone inning of work, and Grant fowler took over for the next two, allowing 3 runs on five hits.
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Dugas' red-hot streak continued with a lead-off home run in the 4th inning, and Bianco scored later in the inning after a stolen base and a pair of wild pitches to cut the lead to 5-4. It was Bianco again that pushed LSU back ahead with a two-run blast in the 6th inning off Ducks reliever Isaac Ayon. But, again, that lead was short-lived.
After a pair of scoreless innings by Will Hellmers, Garrett Edwards took the mound in the 7th. He was greeted by an error from shortstop Jordan Thompson that loomed large when Oregon's Kenyon Yovan blasted a two-run shot that sent Oregon back ahead 7-6. Landon Marceaux, also pitching on short rest after getting the start against Gonzaga, took over with 2 outs and finished out the inning before blanking the Ducks in the 8th.
"I'll tell you what, they've been counting us out all year. ... I can't be more grateful for this team," Dugas said. "This is awesome."
Marceaux returned to the mound in the 9th inning and finished off the Ducks but not without some entertainment. Oregon plated one run and had the tying run at third base after pinch hitter Tristan Hanoian's weak dribbler left Thompson without a play charging from shortstop. But with Tigers coach Paul Mainieri leaving the ball in Marceaux's hand despite closer Devin Fontenot appearing ready in the bullpen, LSU's ace got Ducks 3rd baseman Sam Novitske to pop out to Dylan Crews in right field.
"That man's a bulldog," Dugas said. "I'll play behind him any day."
The pressure-packed win officially sends LSU to the Super Regionals against Tennessee. The result marked the first time in Tigers history they'd won a regional after losing their opening game, and its first Super Regional visit since 2019 when the Tigers fell in consecutive games to Florida State.
The result also means that Mainieri's LSU coaching career will continue for at least two more games. The legendary Tigers coach now has 1,505 career wins, and announced last month he'd retire at season's end.
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