LSU Finds Power in Routing Stanford

OMAHA, Neb. — Louisiana State jumped into the favorite’s role Sunday in the College World Series, battering third-seeded Stanford for five home runs, including two by shortstop Brandon Larson, in a 10-5 victory.

The second-seeded Tigers scored seven runs off Stanford starter Kyle Peterson, who lasted only five innings in front of his hometown crowd at Rosenblatt Stadium. LSU scored three runs in the first inning and then took a 5-0 lead on catcher Clint Earnhart’s two-run homer in the fourth.

The Tigers, looking to become the first repeat College World Series winner since Stanford in 1987-88, got successive homers in the fifth inning when Larson hit his first to left field and first baseman Eddy Furniss followed with a shot that landed in almost the same spot.

“Sometimes you just have to shake your head and move on,” said Peterson (11-3), who went to Creighton Prep in Omaha and is writing a column for the local newspaper. “The one I threw to Larson in the fifth I thought was a good pitch. The one I threw to Furniss wasn’t such a good pitch.”

Larson homered again to left field in the seventh off Tony Cogan and became only the fourth player in NCAA history to hit 40 home runs in a season.

“Watching Brandon play is like watching a dream,” LSU Coach Skip Bertman said. “He’s had the finest season I’ve ever seen.”

Left fielder Wes Davis also homered, in the eighth, for LSU (55-13), which tied the single-game high for home runs in a College World Series game.

“Pitchers can’t throw around anybody in our lineup,” Furniss said. “Anyone from one to nine can hit a home run.”

LSU starter Patrick Coogan (14-3) gave up only three earned runs in seven-plus innings and held the Cardinal (44-19) to six hits and one walk. He pitched out of jams in the first and second innings as Stanford tried to keep pace.

“If we get some runs in the first two innings we might have had a shot, but give Coogan credit,” Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said. “He just dominated us, and [LSU] gave us a good beating.”

Auburn 10, Rice 1--Starter Tim Hudson and reliever Finley Woodward limited the Owls to one run and four hits, and the Tiger offense kept them alive in an elimination game with 11 hits and a four-run fourth inning.

Hudson (15-2), who threw 6 1/3 innings, also went two for three with six runs batted in. He had a two-run double in the third inning and a three-run homer in the sixth.

“Every pitch he threw seemed to move a foot,” said Rice All-American first baseman Lance Berkman, who was 0 for 2. “I don’t even know if he had his good stuff tonight, but it sure was good enough.”

Auburn (50-16) will play Stanford on Tuesday. Jamie Kersh also homered for Auburn.