OMAHA, Neb. — Nate Ackenhausen pitched six innings in his first begin for LSU and mixed with Riley Cooper for the Tigers’ nation-leading eleventh shutout of the season in a 5-0 victory over Tennessee within the College World Series on Tuesday night time.
LSU (50-16) beat its Southeastern Conference rival for the fourth time in 5 conferences and can play No. 1 nationwide seed Wake Forest on Wednesday night time. The Tigers must beat the Demon Deacons in that recreation and once more Thursday to achieve the CWS finals.
Tennessee (44-22) was eradicated after it failed to attain for the primary time in 133 video games since a 6-0 loss to Virginia within the 2021 CWS.
Ackenhausen got here into the sport having logged simply 22 1/3 innings over 15 reduction appearances. He had not gone greater than 3 2/3 innings since he was a starter for Eastern Oklahoma State final yr.
LSU’s third starter has been fluid many of the season, and coach Jay Johnson advised ESPN earlier than the sport that he performed a hunch and went with Ackenhausen over Riley Cooper as a result of the Tigers have been 13-2 in video games through which he appeared.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound left-hander ended up outdueling Drew Beam, a projected excessive decide within the 2024 draft who was coming off robust begins in regionals and tremendous regionals.
More vital, Ackenhausen’s prolonged outing allowed Johnson to maintain his bullpen recent for Wake Forest.
The Tigers scored single runs within the first and sixth innings and one other within the eighth when Tennessee relievers hit three batters and Tre’ Morgan got here residence on a wild pitch. Dylan Crews’ two-run homer within the ninth put the sport away.
Beam, who left with two outs within the sixth, allowed six hits, walked two and struck out 9.
Ackenhausen had allowed 4 hits, walked none and struck out seven when he left to a standing ovation from followers behind the LSU dugout after he hit Blake Burke to start out the seventh. Burke was the third batter he plunked, and pitchers for each groups mixed for seven hit batters, the third most in a CWS recreation.
The Tigers had some anxious moments. After Cooper got here on with a two-run lead, the Vols loaded the bases with two outs earlier than Hunter Ensley dribbled out to first.
In the fifth, with LSU main 1-0 and Cal Stark on second, Ahuna doubled into the left-center hole with two outs. The Tigers caught a break when third-base coach Josh Elander held up Stark, the catcher, as an alternative of sending him residence. Thompson, the relay man, would have had an extended throw to the plate and it in all probability would have needed to be good to get Stark. The Vols got here up empty when Ensley flied out.
Ackenhausen went again out for the sixth and set down the Vols so as. He struck out their high hitter, Jared Dickey, and froze Christian Moore with a pitch up within the zone to finish the inning.
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