Ad Disclosure
Cade Beloso sends LSU, Wake Forest to do-or-die matchup for spot in CWS Finals
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Cade Beloso and the LSU Tigers were up against elimination Wednesday while facing No. 1 Wake Forest in Omaha. When it was all said and done, LSU came out on top Wednesday night to set the stage for a dramatic — and decisive — game Thursday night.
Wake Forest started the scoring in the top of the 2nd inning with center fielder Tommy Hawke delivering a 2-RBI hit. Hawke was one of the stars of the night for the Demon Deacons, but he was unable to get much help from the heart of Wake Forest’s lineup against LSU.
Deac double for 2⃣!#MCWS x ? ESPN / @WakeBaseball pic.twitter.com/UIUuVelm68
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 21, 2023
LSU would cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the 2nd inning but the big push came in the 3rd inning. After a bases-loaded wild pitch scored a run, Cade Beloso delivered the big blow of the night.
Beloso hammered a 3-run home run to right field, giving the Tigers a 5-2 lead that would hold up at the end of the game. The designated hitter was LSU’s star of the night going 1-for-2 with his HR, 2 walks, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.
LSU’S CADE BELOSO CRUSHED THIS BALL ? pic.twitter.com/ajOjVqGwea
— ESPN (@espn) June 22, 2023
The other star of the game for the Tigers was a bullpen that came through in the clutch. After starter Javen Coleman went 1.1 innings and Blake Money registered 1 out while surrendering the run-scoring hit, 3 LSU relievers finished the game with 7.1 scoreless innings.
Griffin Herring did the heavy lifting for the Tigers with 6 strikeouts over 4.2 innings pitched with 2 hits and 1 walk. Riley Cooper slammed the door shut without allowing a hit in covering the final 1.1 innings.
Wake Forest starter Seth Keener went 4.1 innings while getting tagged for all 5 earned runs in the loss. Sean Sullivan kept the Demon Deacons close with 3.2 shutout innings from the bullpen but the offense could not get going.
As for that offense, LSU’s bullpen held the 2-5 spots of the Wake Forest lineup without a hit Wednesday night. That group for the Demon Deacons went 0-for-15 with 4 walks, including an 0-for-3 night from Brock Wilken.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
