Was this the best pitching duel in MCWS history?
LSU's Skenes, Wake's Lowder dominate before Tigers punch ticket in the 11th
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 – 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.