Chuck Carlton

E-mail | Colleges blog

OMAHA, Neb. – Texas mustered one remarkable comeback in the deciding game of the College World Series.

The Longhorns desperately needed another.

LSU's bats came alive and a Texas pitching staff that had carried the team throughout most of the season provided no answers in a pivotal sixth inning. The result was an 11-4 LSU victory. For the Tigers, it was their sixth NCAA championship since 1991 and first since 2000.

The previous five titles came under the now retired Skip Bertman. This one was produced by Paul Mainieri, hired to restore the program to greatness in June 2006.

When LSU's Louis Coleman struck out Connor Rowe, the LSU players dog-piled on the pitcher's mound under purple-and-gold glitter.

Texas finished as the NCAA runner-up for the sixth time and the second under Augie Garrido, who was seeking his sixth championship.

"They were the best team," Garrido told ESPN. "They deserved to win."

The Longhorns were trying to become the first No. 1 seed to win the College World Series since Miami in 1999.

No team had walked farther on a tightrope in the NCAA tournament than the Longhorns, from 25-inning marathons to walk-off walks. For every situation, Texas had an improbable counter, at least until Wednesday.

Then LSU offense went to work against three different Texas pitchers with the score tied 4-4 in the sixth inning.

Brandon Workman, who had retired nine consecutive batters in relief of starter Cole Green, departed after walking Jared Mitchell and surrendering a run-scoring double to Mikie Mahtook.

Austin Dicharry replaced Workman and immediately committed a throwing error on an attempted sacrifice bunt. He got two quick outs, including a sacrifice fly, but then surrendered a walk to D.J. LeMahieu.

Enter Texas folk hero Austin Wood, who responded by hitting Ryan Schimpf to load the bases and then grazing Blake Dean with another pitch to force in a run.

Sean Ochinko followed with a two-run single for a 9-4 lead.

"Once they smelled blood in the water, they did what they really needed to do," Garrido said.

After the inning, a handful of beach balls littered the outfield warning track, having fallen from the stands. The Texas pitches probably looked to be the size of beach balls to the Tiger hitters.

For Wood, it was a bittersweet end. The senior left-hander had cemented his spot in Texas history with that epic 169-pitch, 13-inning shutout effort in the NCAA regional against Boston College.

Yet, Wood struggled in the CWS, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. He departed in the eighth inning after taking a line drive off his left leg.

After the LSU lit up the scoreboard, there was no answer by Texas.

To the Longhorns credit, they didn't flinch when Green, the sophomore from Coppell, uncharacteristically struggled early. He allowed four runs, all earned, in just two innings. It was the most earned runs he had yielded in any appearance this season.

Somehow, Texas rallied, taking advantage of wildness by LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo (five walks in 5 1/3 innings).

Kevin Keyes' two-run homer in the fifth briefly lifted Texas back into a tie.