Was this the best pitching duel in MCWS history?
LSU's Skenes, Wake's Lowder dominate before Tigers punch ticket in the 11th
Jalyn Smoot
With a trip to the College World Series Finals on the line, LSU's Paul Skenes and Wake Forest's Rhett Lowder -- who both project to be first-round picks in this year's Draft -- engaged in one of the most electric pitching duels in NCAA history Thursday night.
Given the star power involved in the matchup -- with two Top 10 Draft prospects facing off on the mound as well as the showcasing of consensus top Draft prospect Dylan Crews with the Tigers -- it¡¯s no surprise the matchup was one of the most highly anticipated College World Series games ever. And, after the dust settled in LSU's exhilarating 2-0 walk-off win over the No. 1 seed Wake Forest in 11 innings, it¡¯s safe to say the matchup was as good as -- if not better than -- advertised.
The game began with Skenes and Lowder dominating as expected. The two starters were virtually untouchable in their respective outings.
Skenes, MLB Pipeline's No. 2 Draft prospect, struck out nine while allowing just two hits and a walk over eight innings. The right-hander's third strikeout of the night was an historic one -- Skenes set an SEC record for most strikeouts in a single season, topping former LSU standout Ben McDonald, on his 203rd of the year. The 21-year-old finished the game with 207.
¡°It¡¯s cool,¡± Skenes said of passing McDonald. ¡°It¡¯s cool to leave a legacy.¡±
Skenes has established quite the legacy for himself at Baton Rouge, as his clutch outing set the No. 5 Tigers (52-16) up for a rematch of the all-SEC final the Gators won for their first national title in 2017.
¡°He gave us an unreal performance, as always,¡± Tommy White said of his teammate after crushing the two-run walk-off homer. ¡°We know we have a chance to win every time he¡¯s on the mound. He¡¯s something different.¡±
Not to be outdone, Lowder also delivered one of his best performances of the year. The No. 8 Draft prospect also etched his name in history as he tried to keep Wake Forest¡¯s title hopes alive.
Through seven scoreless innings, the right-hander yielded just three hits and two walks while recording six strikeouts. Lowder¡¯s secondary pitches showed great movement and kept the LSU offense off balance. His fourth strikeout of the game was the 21-year-old's 141st of the season, a Wake Forest record.
Neither team was able to score a run in regulation, and the dynamic pitchers got a lot of help from their respective defenses to keep the game scoreless until extra innings.
No. 24 Draft prospect Brock Wilken capped the sixth with a sharp snag at third base for the Demon Deacons. Two innings later, the Tigers' Tre' Morgan (ranked 136th in the Draft) made a diving flip on a bunt up the first-base line. He relayed the ball to Alex Milazzo, who tagged charging runner Justin Johnson before he crossed the plate.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, following a leadoff single by No. 1 Draft prospect Crews, hard-hitting third baseman White launched a first-pitch slider out of the park to send LSU to the Finals.
¡°The whole year we knew we could do it,¡± Skenes said of advancing to the finals. ¡°That was the primary goal ¨C to win a national championship. Everything else would just be a bonus, but this is what we¡¯ve had our eyes on all year.¡±
Game 1 of the Finals will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday. Game 2 of the best-of-3 series will take place at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, with Game 3, if necessary, scheduled at 7 p.m. ET on Monday.