By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. — Jared Jones hit a line drive that glanced off a glove for the winning run moments after LSU got a big break to tie the score, and the Tigers posted a 6-5 walk-off victory over SEC rival Arkansas on Wednesday night to advance to the College World Series finals.
The Tigers (51-15) will play for their second national championship in three years when they square off against Coastal Carolina in the best-of-three finals beginning Saturday. The Chanticleers locked up their spot with an 11-3 win over Louisville on Wednesday.
It’s been quite a turnaround for Jones, who struck out five times in the Tigers’ 4-1 victory over Arkansas in their CWS opener. In the last two games, he’s 5 for 9 with six RBIs and two home runs.
“I’ve spent so much time and effort in this sport throughout my life,” Jones said. “My parents have sacrificed so much to get me to this point. And my teammates, I was up sixth or seventh in the ninth inning, so there had to be a lot that had to go right for us to put me in that position. I’m just super grateful for it all and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Arkansas (50-15) took a two-run lead in the top of the ninth on Justin Thomas’ tie-breaking single and looked ready to force a winner-take-all rematch against the Tigers on Thursday. Instead, the Razorbacks’ season ended in heartbreak in Omaha again.
The Tigers beat Arkansas for the fourth time in five meetings this season, including last Saturday in the teams’ CWS opener. They are 5-0 all-time in CWS meetings with the Razorbacks.
LSU put two men on base with one out in the bottom of the ninth against Cole Gibler (3-2). Steven Milam grounded to short, and Wehiwa Aloy opted to get the lead runner at third rather than try for a game-ending double play.
“I talked to him about it,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “He felt he moved too far to his right to turn it.”
Luis Hernandez came up and sent a hard liner to left. Charles Davalan slipped as he broke for the ball and it deflected off his right shoulder. Davalan chased the ball down as Ethan Frey and Milam scored easily.
“It was hit hard obviously, and it was hooking and sinking,” Van Horn said. “It looked like Charles slipped taking off for it and when he took off he lost sight of it.”
Jones, whose team-best 22nd homer of the season had tied it 3-all in the eighth, shot a line drive up the middle that bounced off second baseman Cam Kozeal’s glove. Hernandez scored from second ahead of the throw home, setting off a wild LSU celebration in center field.
LSU coach Jay Johnson said the moment was reminiscent of two years ago when Tommy White’s 11th-inning, walk-off homer against Wake Forest sent the Tigers to the finals against Florida.
“I said this literally probably two years ago to the day, the walk-off homer, Tommy against Wake Forest, I felt something in my body I’ve never felt before. Greatest moment in my life,” Johnson said. “It now has a tie for first, with the ninth inning with Jared Jones, line drive over the second baseman’s head. And Luis Hernandez, hustling around second base.”
Jacob Mayers (2-0), the fourth LSU pitcher, worked two-thirds of an inning for the win. Zac Cowan gave the Tigers a season-long 5⅓ innings in his second start of the season and allowed one run on four hits. He walked none and struck out six.
Gut-wrenching losses in Omaha are nothing new for Arkansas. The Razorbacks were one out away from winning the 2018 national championship in the second game of the finals against Oregon State. What should have been a game-ending pop foul dropped between three Arkansas fielders. Oregon State went on to win that game and the next to take the title.
This was Arkansas’ 12th CWS appearance and eighth under Van Horn, and the Razorbacks are tied with Clemson and North Carolina for the second-most trips to Omaha without winning the title. Florida State is first at 24.
In the early game …
Coastal Carolina 11, Louisville 3: Coastal Carolina scored five of its six first-inning runs before making an out and extending its win streak to 26 games.
The Chanticleers (56-11) are going for their second national championship in two all-time appearances in Omaha. They won their first in 2016.
“To do what we did today versus that team, as well coached as that team is, is really amazing,” Coach Kevin Schnall said. “The Chanticleers are one of two teams in the entire country still playing. It’s incredible, but it’s not unbelievable. And it’s not unbelievable because we’ve got really good players, really good players.”
Louisville (42-24) started left-hander Colton Hartman, primarily a reliever who hadn’t appeared in a game since May 17. He didn’t last long.
Caden Bodine singled leading off and Sebastian Alexander and Blake Barthol were hit by pitches to load the bases. Walker Mitchell punched a ball into right field to bring in two runs, and then Hartman issued a four-pitch walk.
Out went Hartman (2-1) and in came Jake Schweitzer. Colby Thorndyke greeted him with his second bases-clearing double in two games to make it 5-0. Thorndyke came home on Ty Dooley’s one-out single and finished 3 for 4 with five RBIs.
“We always preach when the bases are loaded, the pressure is on the pitcher,” Thorndyke said. “It’s not on the hitter. He’s got to throw three strikes. If he throws four balls then it’s a run. So we always preach the pressure is on the pitcher.”
The Chanticleers padded their lead with Pete Mihos’ two-run triple in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth. Coastal Carolina is 43-0 when leading after six innings.
The Chanticleers made an impressive run through their bracket, beating Arizona, 7-4, and Oregon State, 6-2, before eliminating the Cardinals. They led ,or were tied all the way through except for a half-inning against Arizona.
“These guys, ooh, they’ve done it in the last half of the season, in the conference tournament, in the regionals, in supers, in Omaha, against, as we say, the best teams,” Louisville coach Dan McDonnell said. “It’s impressive what they’ve done.”
Riley Eikhoff (7-2), making his second start in the CWS, held the Cardinals scoreless until Tague Davis drove an RBI double into the right-center gap in the sixth. Matthew Potok, Hayden Johnson and Dominick Carbone combined for 3⅔ shutout innings of relief.
“Offense goes out there gives you a big lead, it’s big pressure off yourself,” Eikhoff said. “You go out there, just do your thing, try and make pitches. I made quite a few pitches today, and the defense made great plays behind me. Without them, the score wouldn’t be the same today.”
Cardinals ace Patrick Forbes, who pitched 5⅓ innings in a 4-3 loss to Oregon State on Friday, had asked to be the starter against the Chanticleers on four days of rest, according to ESPN.
Coach Dan McDonnell planned to hold him back for a possible second bracket final against the Chanticleers on Thursday or use him for one inning if needed Wednesday. Hartman’s disastrous start all but ended Louisville’s hopes of forcing a winner-take-all game.
“I’m just grateful to be along for this journey and just be one of the people or one of the teams that can go down in the history books for Louisville,” Eddie King Jr. said. “This is a special team and I’m just sad that it came to an end today.”
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