Halfway there: LSU takes down Wake Forest 5-2, will play them again on Thursday to advance to CWS Finals

If there was anyone on the team who didn’t want LSU’s season to end, it was graduate senior, Cade Beloso.

In the third inning, Beloso took matters into his own hands, and hit a three-run home run to put LSU up 5-2. That home run had a large reason why the Tigers aren’t finished in Omaha, as they took down Wake Forest 5-2.

However, the Tigers will play Wake Forest again on Thursday at 6 p.m. C.T. because Wednesday’s loss was Wake’s first of the tournament. The game will be aired on ESPN from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

Last season, Beloso tore his ACL and his meniscus, which held him out for the season. For him to come full circle and be able to have an impact in the College World Series means everything.

“It just puts things into perspective,” Beloso said. “You don’t have to come through in those moments, you get to come through in those moments.”

Beloso was LSU’s first base runner of the game with a walk, and he ended up getting in to score off a double from Brayden Jobert. Jobert finished the game going one for three with an RBI.

But the second time Beloso went to the plate, he ended up doing a lot more. He finished the game going one for two with three RBIs.

“I was just trying to hit a fly ball to center field, try and stay out of the double play,” Beloso said. “I got a good change-up at my thigh and put a good swing on it.”

Dylan Crews got the momentum going in that four-run third inning, as he walked and scored on a pass-ball.

While it didn’t look pretty 100% of the time, the Tigers played the most complete game they’ve played since Saturday’s win over Tennessee.

Griffin Herring was LSU’s secret weapon on the mound. He came in relief during the second inning, and went on to throw 4.2 innings. He gave up no runs on three hits, and struck out six. He threw 80 pitches, 50 being strikes.

“This place is awesome,” Herring said. “I think I was able to kind of feed off the adrenaline instead of letting it get to me.”

Gavin Guidry came in after Herring and went 1.1 innings, gave up two hits and struck out two. But Riley Cooper was next on the list after Guidry. On Tuesday night, Cooper threw 40 pitches, so he had essentially no days of rest.

“A lot of water and sleep,” Cooper said. “Try and sleep as much as I can, and I just show up and I feel good.”

Cooper, as he has much of this postseason, held the fort down. He went for the last 1.1 innings, struck out two and gave up no hits.

Javen Coleman got the start on the mound for LSU, but early walks led to him leaving the game early. He went 1.1 innings and gave up two runs on one hit while walking four. However, Blake Money allowed the hit in which two runs scored for Wake Forest. 

Tommy Hawke hit a two-RBI single for the Demon Deacons in the top of the second inning. Hawke went three for five on the game with three singles and two RBIs. Pierce Bennett also had multiple hits, as he went two for four with two singles.

The Tigers found their most momentum at the plate against Wake’s starting pitcher, Seth Keener. Keener went 4.1 innings in the start, gave up five runs on four hits, and walked four.

Sean Sullivan came in relief for the Demon Deacons and had an easier time controlling the Tigers. He went 3.2 innings, struck out three, and gave up no runs on two hits.

“We’ve responded to adversity all year,” Wake Forest head coach, Tom Walter, said. “Tomorrow will be no different.”

The playing field is now even, as both teams have the same things to lose. Both teams are now playing for the sake of continuing their season and having a shot at a national championship.

Of all the talks of a game being the biggest game of the season, Thursday’s matchup certainly takes the cake for that title.

With a win, LSU will move on to play Florida in the College World Series finals. With a loss, LSU’s season will come to an end.

Everything this LSU team has been through this season comes down to Thursday night, just as it did on Tuesday night and Wednesday night. The Tigers have had their backs against the wall for three days straight, and every time their season could have ended, they weathered the storm out. 

This time around, everything the team has worked for all season is just a game away. The goal of making it to a national championship and winning is no longer a distant dream.

Wake Forest is the one team in LSU’s way of making it to the final series. But Thursday, the team that shows up and plays better will be the team sitting in that final series with Florida.