Tigers' Hitters Pounce On Cavaliers in Omaha

LSU 9, Virginia 5

OMAHA, June 13 -- Virginia lined the Rosenblatt Stadium dugout fence just moments after Saturday's College World Series opener against Louisiana State following the same result and facing the same fate as days ago when it lost the first game of the super regional. It was why Virginia's 9-5 loss to LSU did not induce panic, but almost a sense of familiarity.

They have been here before. And just minutes after losing to the Tigers, Virginia Coach Brian O'Connor pledged that his team will be ready to keep the season alive in Monday's elimination game against Cal State Fullerton.

Before the Cavaliers left for the regional in Irvine, Calif., three weeks ago, O'Connor delivered a message to his team: "No matter who we play, where we play, we're not going to change the style of baseball that got us here."

Although they did not change their style of play, the style did not work as effectively as it has in six prior NCAA tournament games when the Cavaliers had allowed a combined 10 runs.

Saturday's score was understandable when considering that the Tigers entered the game as the top-ranked team in the nation, but maddening for the Cavaliers (48-14-1) when considering the type of games that have allowed them to reach this point.

The Cavaliers make no attempt of appearing as an offensive juggernaut. Although they have been bolstered by an increased power surge this season, they entered the game 4-9 when opponents score more than six runs.

Yet Virginia's offense was not the problem Saturday. It finished with 14 hits -- its most during the postseason. The issue was that 14 base runners were left stranded -- each representing a possible run in an uncharacteristically high-scoring game -- and pitching that could not induce critical outs.

"When you play a team like LSU, with that kind of lineup one through nine, if you don't make the pitches you need to make in the clutch, they're going to burn you," O'Connor said. "Those are the pitches we've made the last two weeks to get to this point, and we didn't make them tonight."

When LSU Coach Paul Mainieri saw Athletic Director Joe Alleva after the game, Mainieri told his boss that this was the most offensive College World Series he had ever experienced.

"I can't really explain it," Mainieri said. "What [Virginia's pitchers have] done in the postseason is nothing short of phenomenal."

The Tigers knocked Virginia ace Danny Hultzen out of the game earlier than any of his previous 15 starts this season. Hultzen, a freshman from Bethesda who has starred since arriving in Charlottesville, struggled even when cornering LSU hitters into two-strike counts. The Tigers continued fouling pitches off, and when Hultzen threw a 30-pitch third inning, O'Connor pulled his freshman even though he had allowed only three runs while striking out five.

"I threw some bad pitches that they took advantage of," Hultzen said.