Florida and LSU each survived their respective sides of the bracket and met in game one of the College World Series Championship Monday night. The game kicked off with an incredible flyover during the National Anthem.
??No better way to start a game than with a flyover. ?? #CollegeWorldSeries pic.twitter.com/6HSkNjV9J2
— Grace Yowell (@Grace_ayowell) June 26, 2017
While it was basically an LSU home game in what many Tigers fans call "Baton Rouge North", Florida's starting pitcher Brady Singer was red-hot on the mound.
After three scoreless innings Florida brought in three runs to start the fourth inning. LSU pitcher Russell Reynolds walked the bases full in the top of the fourth before Nick Bush came in in relief. The Gators first scored on a foul-out followed by a ground-rule double that brought in two.
THE SCORING HAS STARTED!!
Austin Langworthy plates Guthrie on a sac fly and Florida has a 1-0 lead in the 4th! #CWS pic.twitter.com/j297AOr0SM
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 27, 2017
GO! GATORS!!!
Jonathan India CRUSHES a ground-rule double to centerfield to bring home 2 more... 3-0 Florida in the 4th! #CWS pic.twitter.com/wdXJT5WXgU
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 27, 2017
Tigers' Antoine Duplantis added to the excitement with a home run in the sixth inning to put LSU on the board.
? Antoine Duplantis ?
IT'S OUT OF HERE!! A solo shot pulls the Tigers within 2 here in the 6th! #CWS pic.twitter.com/ax0haNgHpk
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 27, 2017
LSU continued to fight back throughout the sixth inning with an RBI from Beau Jordan to score another run putting the Tigers within one.
HERE COME THE TIGERS!!
An RBI single ripped into left by Beau Jordan cuts the LSU deficit to 1 in the 6th! #CWS pic.twitter.com/qrknYPXyJh
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 27, 2017
Florida put a stop to LSU's quickly scoring in the top of the seventh off of an RBI from Mike Rivera.
It never gets old... #RBIvera!!!
T7 | #OmahaGators 4, LSU 2 pic.twitter.com/LAFqs9EqTz
— Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 27, 2017
Singer pitched 12 strikeouts through eighth innings for a career high. His 12 k's also mark the most strikeouts in a College World Series final game and most by a Florida pitcher in a CWS game.
Most strikeouts ever in a CWS Final game ?
Most strikeouts ever by a @GatorsBB in a CWS game ?
Brady Singer: 1??2?? Ks
STRAIGHT. DEALING. pic.twitter.com/AkYkJWeBZB
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 27, 2017
In the bottom of the eighth the Tigers made things interesting. Josh Smith drove in one with an RBI single but was thrown out at second.
ONE. RUN. GAME!!
Josh Smith singles home Deichmann, but is thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch the hit.
Florida 4, LSU 3 - End 8 pic.twitter.com/E8C2aydaP3
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 27, 2017
However, Florida was too much for the Tigers and went on to win 4-3. LSU and Florida will meet up for game two of the College World Series finals tomorrow at 7 p.m.
