49ers Suffer Late Knockout : College World Series: LSU scores three in bottom of the ninth to eliminate CS Long Beach, 6-5.

Confidence was high in the Cal State Long Beach dugout entering the bottom of the ninth inning of Friday’s College World Series game between the 49ers and Louisiana State.

The 49ers had scored twice in the top of the inning to take a two-run lead, and relief ace Gabe Gonzalez was on the mound with Long Beach three outs from advancing to the national championship game.

Across the field, LSU was hoping a lineup that includes several players from its 1991 championship team could engineer one of the comebacks that have become the norm in this year’s World Series.

“I was praying to God, ‘Please let us come back, don’t let this be my last game,’ ” LSU outfielder Armando Rios said.

Rios’ two-run double tied the score and Todd Walker’s run-scoring single gave LSU a 6-5 victory that sends the Tigers into today’s showdown with Wichita State for the national title.

LSU’s victory, before 12,338, marked the 10th time in 13 World Series games that a team has come back to win in the late innings.

“This has been the most miraculous series I’ve ever been involved with,” said LSU Coach Skip Bertman, who has brought six teams to Omaha.

Long Beach, which finished its season 46-19, lost its World Series opener against LSU, then beat Kansas, Texas A&M; and LSU to reach the elimination game against the Tigers.

The 49ers, however, were unable to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities Friday. They stranded 13 runners--11 in scoring position.

“We did a great job of creating some things and setting ourselves up for the big hit,” Long Beach Coach Dave Snow said. “But we didn’t get that hit as often as we would have liked.”

LSU, which committed five errors, got three big hits in the bottom of the ninth to win.

“I went out there with a lot of confidence,” said Gonzalez, a sophomore left-hander who had pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in the World Series before he replaced starter Mike Fontana with two out in the seventh. “They took advantage of some little mistakes.”

Adrian Antonini, who was two for 11 in the World Series, led off with a single. Gonzalez (4-3) struck out pinch-hitter Mark Stocco, then walked Jason Williams before Rios doubled off the wall in left-center to tie to score.

Rios moved to third on a wild pitch, and Gonzalez intentionally walked Russ Johnson to set up a double play.

Walker, who already had a homer and two singles, turned on a 1-1 slider and hit a shot at first baseman John Swanson. The ball skimmed the grass and skipped off Swanson’s glove into right field.

“It was a laser,” Swanson said. “I don’t think Kelly Hrudey could have stopped that.”

LSU left-hander Mike Sirotka (12-6) gave up nine hits, struck out eight and walked six in a 152-pitch complete game.

Sirotka pitched a three-hitter against Long Beach in the opener, then had been the victim of a four-run, eighth-inning rally by the 49ers in Wednesday’s 10-8 Long Beach victory.

Long Beach appeared to have beaten Sirotka again when it broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth. Jeff Richardson scored from second when LSU third baseman Williams couldn’t handle a grounder hit by Brian Whatley, and Jeff Liefer scored from third on a two-out bunt single by Tim Falsken. That set the stage for LSU’s dramatic comeback.

“This is a tough way to end things,” said Whatley, a senior. “This team battled through a lot to get here. No one wanted it to end this way.”