Texas, Tigers even
Published 5:13 am Wednesday, June 24, 2009
ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Freshman Taylor Jungmann limited LSU to five hits in his first complete game, and Russell Moldenhauer hit his record-tying fourth home run of the College World Series as Texas evened the best-of-three finals, 5-1 over LSU on Tuesday night.
The top-seeded Longhorns (50-15-1) forced a winner-take-all game Wednesday night for the national championship. LSU (55-17), ranked No. 1 in the major polls, lost for the first time in 15 games.
Jungmann, who threw six pitches all for balls in a short relief appearance in Game 1 Monday, struck out nine against an LSU offense that averaged 9.5 runs in its first four CWS games.
Jungmann (11-3) won his third game in Omaha — the other two were in relief — and he pitched the first complete game in the CWS since 2006.
LSU starter Aaron Ross (6-8) lasted only two innings in his first CWS start.
Preston Clark homered for a 2-0 lead in the second and finished with three hits and two RBIs.
Moldenhauer’s surprising show of power continued. He came to Omaha with no home runs this season and became the 10th player to hit four in a CWS when he sent a high fly over the right-center field fence off Ryan Byrd in the third.
Jungmann had never pitched more than 7 2-3 innings. He gave up a triple to DJ LeMahieu leading off the third in addition to four singles. LSU scored on shortstop Brandon Loy’s fielding error in the second.