OMAHA, Neb. — Cade Beloso hit the tiebreaking homer in the top of the 11th inning after Ty Floyd struck out a career-high 17 for the most in a College World Series game in 51 years and LSU beat Florida 4-3 in Game 1 of the CWS finals Saturday night.
Beloso's blast came after LSU left fielder Josh Pearson made a leaping catch to keep Florida from scoring the winning run in the 10th and moved the Tigers within a win of their seventh national championship, and first since 2009.
Beloso's three-run homer in a 5-2 win over Wake Forest on Wednesday kept the Tigers' season alive, and he came up against Florida closer Brandon Neely (3-2) to lead off the 11th.
Beloso sent Neely's second pitch over the right-field fence, raised his left index finger to the sky as he rounded third and stuck out his tongue as he crossed home plate. Then he beat his chest, pulled on the front of his jersey a couple times and chest-bumped Floyd on his way into the dugout.
LSU closer Riley Cooper (5-3) took over in the ninth inning after Floyd struck out the most batters in a CWS game since Arizona State’s Ed Bane fanned 17 in a 1-0 win over Oklahoma in 1972.
