No. 1 Wake Forest is moving away from LSU late at MCWS moving forward

Omaha, Nebraska – Just minutes after his defensive play performance in the game, Bennett Lee hit the hit that put Wake Forest on the inside track for the Men’s College World Series Finals.

The Demon Deacons came from behind to win their second straight game at Charles Schwab Stadium, defeating LSU 3-2 Monday Night in the game that decided control of their bracket.

Wake Forest is 7-0 in the NCAA Tournament. She is the fifth national seed to win her first two matches in the MCWS; Three of the previous four made it to the championship game but only Miami in 1999 won the title.

“Everyone is having the time of their life right now,” said confidant Camden Menacchi, who has the last five. “Who can beat us? It seems pretty impossible. So the amount of fun we’re having is really incredible.”

Devil Deacons catcher Lee made an amazing play in the top of the eighth when he countered the bouncing pitch of third baseman Brock Wilken and Tre’ Morgan’s tag to preserve the tie at 2-all.

“Brock Wilken put in a great display to get to the ball, and Bennett was there with incredible pressure,” Wake coach Tom Walter said. “It was a huge play in this ball game.”

After Danny Corona slammed a ground break Thatcher Hurd at the right field line for a double in the bottom half, Lee followed it up with a base hit to left that brought Corona home.

Next up for Wake Forest (54-10) is Wednesday’s meeting with the winner of Tuesday’s game between SEC rivals LSU (49-16) and Tennessee. The Tigers beat Tennessee 6-3 here on Saturday. The Devil Deacons would have to lose twice to be denied a place in the finals.

Wake Forest became the third team to start 2-0, with both teams winning in a come-from-behind style, since the Men’s College World Series moved to Charles Schwab Field in 2011. They are also the third team to win their first two MCWS games despite not finishing the lead in entering the eighth inning in either, joining Mississippi State in 2013 and Southern Illinois in 1971

LSU starter Ty Floyd restricted the Demon Deacons to 2 hits and matched his career-high 10 strikeouts before losing his drive in the sixth inning. He walked the first three batters, prompting coach Jay Johnson to call Hurd (6-3) to face co-captain Wilken.

Wilken hit a ball up the middle for an RBI single, and the tying run came home when Justin Johnson hit a double play.

The Tigers opened the scoring against Wake Forest’s Josh Hartle in the third. Tommy White singled for one run and scored from second when Morgan scored a three-out on a fly ball that lost to outfielder Adam Cecier in the Sun.

Hartle went in six innings and struck out nine, bringing his season total at Wake Forest to -140.

The Devils Deacons brought the Tigers back in the eighth when things looked dire. LSU was running corners to none after Morgan doubled down the line and moved when Hayden Travinski reached on an error.

Handing Peluso’s backhand, Welkin double-pumped it and bounced it home to Lee, who tagged Morgan on a close play that stood in video review.

“As soon as I hit the ball, it took off,” Morgan said. “I knew he was going to have an awkward throw, so I tried to go a little over to get in his way, but he made a great play.”

Lee said the stage was set during the hill visit when Walter told Lee to teach Welkin to throw the ball his way.

“Then Peluso hit a little bit, and that was actually a good play for Brock,” Lee said. “He said the ball was still spinning in his glove when he went to throw it. From my point of view, I’ve taken a million shots in my life and she just took over.”

The inning ended when Welkin picked off tormentor Gavin Dugas to start a double play.

Such a tough loss can retract, LSU coach Johnson said, but he reminded his players that the Arizona team he coached in 2016 lost its second game in the CWS and then won three straight to reach the Finals. In 2017, Paul Mainieri’s LSU team lost its second game and made it to the Finals as well.

“I have all the confidence in the world in our team, that we can do it,” Johnson said. “So let’s stick to what we’re doing. And if we do it well, we’ll be in good stead.”

Information from ESPN Stats & Information and the Associated Press was used in this report.