Florida grabs Game 1 win
Gators edge LSU, 4-3, can clinch first crown Tuesday
OMAHA, Neb. — Brady Singer struck out a careerhigh 12 in seven innings, Jonathan India doubled in two runs, and Florida beat LSU, 4-3, in Game 1 of the College World Series bestof-three final Monday night at TD Ameritrade Park.
The Gators (51-19) need a win Tuesday or Wednesday to earn their first national championship.
Singer’s strikeout total was highest by a single pitcher in a CWS final game. Singer (9-5) limited LSU (52-19) to three singles before Antoine Duplantis homered in the sixth.
Florida led, 3-0, after LSU starter Russell Reynolds (12) issued three consecutive walks in the fourth, with India driving in two runs on a ground-rule double.
Down, 4-2, LSU threatened in the eighth. Josh Smith sent a ball into the right-center gap to drive in a run. He was thrown out trying for second by Nick Horvath, who entered as a pinch-runner in the top of the eighth and stayed in the game as the center fielder.
Singer, who pitched a complete game in an 8-1 win against LSU in March, turned in his second strong performance at the CWS. The sophomore struck out nine and allowed one run in seven innings a week ago against Louisville. Monday marked the eighth consecutive game that Florida pitchers struck out 11 or more.
LSU — playing its fourth game in six days and with Eric Walker out with an injury — turned to the seldom-used Reynolds to start. The fifth-year senior, wearing a close-cropped Mohawk under his cap and throwing an 85 mph fastball, gave the Tigers three solid innings in his first start since March 2015.
Teams to score first have won 13 consecutive CWS games. There hasn’t been a lead change since the seventh inning of Game 5. Monday was Game 15.
LSU still leads the alltime series with Florida, 6148-1, but the Gators won two of three March 24-26 in Gainesville in the teams’ only meetings this season.