College World Series: UCLA-LSU game suspended, will resume Tuesday
OMAHA, Neb. — Down, but not out.
That’s where the 15th-seeded UCLA baseball team found itself Monday night when weather halted play against No. 6 seed LSU at the College World Series.
After a delay just shy of two hours at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, the winner’s bracket game was suspended with LSU leading, 5-3, in the fourth inning.
It will resume Tuesday at 8 a.m. PT (ESPN).
Thunderstorms in the area put an end to a game that started with a bang, as the teams traded crooked numbers in the first inning.
UCLA did its damage in the three-run frame by putting the ball in play. Four hits – three of the infield variety – led to a trio of runs, with an RBI double by Roman Martin the lone big blow.
The Tigers answered back with the long ball.
One batter after Jake Brown drove home a run with the third single of the inning for the Tigers, junior Jared Jones went opposite field for a three-run homer to deep right center, a blast with an exit velocity of 110 mph. It was the 21st homer of the season for the 6-foot-4, 246-pound first baseman.
The seven runs in the first inning matched a tournament high this season.
LSU added another in the third as Frey, who opened the inning with a walk, came around to score on a two-out single by infielder Luis Hernandez.
The winner of Tuesday’s resumed game will improve to 2-0 in the bracket and into a Wednesday evening game, one win away from a trip to the best-of-three championship series that concludes the eight-team event.
A loss, however, means a doubleheader on Tuesday, with a 4 p.m. PT elimination game against No. 3 seed Arkansas – a 3-0 winner over Murray State in the other game on Monday – to stay alive.
After using six pitchers in Saturday’s opening round victory over Murray State, UCLA again went to the bullpen early on Monday.
Starter Landon Stump went two innings, but he was replaced by Chris Grothues after issuing a pair of walks to open the third inning. Grothues struck out three in his inning of work, but allowed the single to Hernandez that plated LSU’s fifth run.