OMAHA, Neb. -- Texas figured out how to hit the long ball, but LSU found out they could come back and win at the College World Series.
The Longhorns hit five solo home runs, but the Tigers scored two in the eighth to erase a 6-4 deficit, then got a two-out single by Mikie Mahtook in the 11th to win an exciting 7-6 decision and take the first game of the best-of-three series. LSU can wrap up the school's sixth College World Series championship with a win in the second game Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Texas, the top-seeded team in the tournament, didn't make a name for themselves this season by hitting home runs. They've found their stroke at Rosenblatt Stadium, however, and touched LSU starter Louis Coleman for three solo dingers in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 advantage. Travis Tucker got the party started, leading off the inning with a blast to center. Two batters later, Russell Moldenhauer hit the first of two solo shots to center, and Kevin Keyes added a two-out bomb to left center.
LSU hung around, though. They got two in the sixth on Jared Mitchell's triple to the deepest part of the park in left center, but found themselves trailing again after Moldenhauer's second homer and a wild pitch that scored Keyes from third.
DJ LeMahieu came up big down the stretch, hitting a solo homer in the seventh and lining a two-out double down the left field line in the ninth to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
The game stayed tied until the 11th, when Mahtook singled to center off Texas reliever B Workman, scoring LeMahieu with the winning run. Matty Ott worked three scoreless innings of relief and got Connor Rowe to ground out to second to end the game.
If LSU wins Tuesday, the Tigers will claim their sixth national championship. Texas will need a win to force a third and deciding game, which would be played Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Great seats for Tuesday's second game are on sale now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.
Monday, June 22
Game 1 -- LSU 7, Texas 6, 11 inn. (LSU leads series 1-0)
Tuesday, June 23
Game 2 -- LSU (55-16) vs. Texas (49-15-1), 6 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24
Game 3 -- LSU vs. Texas, 6 p.m. (If necessary)
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