Seawolves Force Deciding Game 3
By:
Updated: June 9, 2012
BATON ROUGE, La. -- After losing
Game 1 Saturday morning, Stony Brook came back to take Game 2 of the NCAA
Baseball Super Regional in the afternoon, 3-1, and force a deciding game on
Sunday at Alex Box Stadium.
Sunday's game is set for noon CT. The winner advances to the College
World Series in Omaha, Neb.
LSU (47-17) will be the home team in
Sunday's deciding game.
"What we need to do now is just regroup, realize that we
won one and lost one today, and tomorrow we are playing for all of the
marbles," said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. "I told the kids after the game that
this is what you have worked all year for, an opportunity to go to Omaha and
what happens tomorrow they will remember for the rest of their lives."
Stony Brook (51-13) suffered a 5-4
loss in Game 1, which resumed Saturday at 10 a.m. after 11 innings of play on
Friday. Friday's game was delayed two hours and 34 minutes before NCAA
officials called it due to rain.
Facing elimination in game 2,
Seawolves starter Tyler Johnson (12-1) pitched a three-hit complete game while
allowing one unearned run with four walks and a strikeout.
In the bottom of the third, LSU
starter Kevin Gausman (12-2) - who earned the win by pitching the 12th inning
of game 1 - got into trouble during a driving rain shower. With one out, No. 8
hitter Kevin Courtney doubled to right and scored on a single by Sal
Intagliata. Then, with runners on the corners and two outs, an RBI single to
right by William Carmona gave Stony Brook a 2-0 lead.
The Seawolves added another run off
Gausman with a solo home run to right by Courtney for a 3-0 advantage.
Courtney finished 3-for-3 with two
runs scored and an RBI.
LSU's lone run came in the top of
the sixth when JaCoby Jones singled and advanced to second on a throwing error
by Johnson. Jones scored on a single through the right side by Rhymes, cutting
the deficit to 3-1. However, after Ty Ross walked, Jordy Snikeris grounded into
a double play to end the threat.
Ten minutes after resuming Game 1 of
the NCAA Super Regional in the 12th inning, LSU's Mason Katz hit an RBI single
to center field to drive in Tyler Moore and move the Tigers within one win of
the College World Series.
LSU inserted its pitching ace and
Game 2 starter Kevin Gausman on the mound to start the 12th inning, and he
retired the Stony Brook side in order on 12 pitches.
In the bottom half, Moore hit a
bloop single to right field off Seawolves closer Frankie Vanderka. Moore
advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Nola. After an intentional
walk of JaCoby Jones, Katz laced a single to left-center field. Though Moore
had to hold up waiting for the line drive to fall, he slid into home plate
safely and the celebration started around Katz.
Katz tied the game in the bottom of
the 11th with a solo home run before the delay on Friday.
"When (Austin) Nola came up
with a guy on first, Coach (Mainieri) turned to me and JaCoby (Jones) and said
'one of you drive the run in,'" Katz said. "I said 'if he doesn't, I
will.' They intentionally walked JaCoby and tried to get a double-play ball. I
was going to do my best to drive something in the gap. In that situation, I was
not going to hit into a double play. I wanted to get something early in the
count to hit. That kid has a great curve ball. He threw me a curve ball and
left it up in the zone and that was it."
LSU Baseball
Extra Innings in NCAA Regional/Super
Regional Play
2012 NCAA Super Regional - June 9
Stony Brook
W, 5-4 (12 Innings)
2010 NCAA Regional - June 4
UC-Irvine
W, 11-10 (11 Innings)
2009 NCAA World Series - June 22
Texas
W, 7-6 (11 Innings)
2009 NCAA Regional - May 30
Baylor
W, 3-2 (10 Innings)
2003 NCAA Regional - June 1
UNC-Wilmington
W, 9-8 (11 innings)
2001 NCAA Super Regional - June 1
Tulane
W, 4-3 (13 Innings)
1997 NCAA Regional - May 25
Long Beach State
W, 14-7 (11 Innings)
1989 NCAA Regional - May 28
Texas A&M
W, 5-4 (11 Innings)
