Tigers rally to prevail in opener

OMAHA, Neb. | Mikie Mahtook singled in the winning run in the top of the 11th inning after DJ LeMahieu tied the score in the ninth, and LSU survived Texas’ five home runs to beat the Longhorns 7-6 in Game 1 of the College World Series finals Monday night.

LSU (55-16) can win its sixth national title with a victory over the Longhorns (49-15-1) on Tuesday night. A Texas victory would force a decisive game Wednesday.

LeMahieu walked leading off the 11th against Brandon Workman (3-4), stole second with two outs and took third when catcher Cameron Rupp’s throw went into center field. After Micah Gibbs walked, Mahtook singled into center for the go-ahead run.

Matty Ott (4-2) struck out Brandon Loyn and Tim Maitland and got Connor Rowe to ground out to finish off Texas.

The Tigers, who won their 14th straight, came back from deficits of 3-1 and 6-4. LeMahieu hit the tying, two-out double in the ninth off Austin Dicharry. LeMahieu also homered in the seventh.

Texas, trying to become the first No. 1 national seed since Miami in 1999 to win the championship, continued its show of power. Russell Moldenhauer hit two of the Longhorns’ five homers. The Longhorns, who came to Omaha with 39 homers in 61 games, have hit 11 in four games here.

All three of Moldenhauer’s homers this season have come in the CWS. He was one of three Texas players to go deep in the fourth, and he broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth with his opposite-field shot to left.

Travis Tucker and Kevin Keyes also homered in the fourth, and Rowe did it in the seventh. All five Texas homers were off LSU starter Louis Coleman, who was pulled after Rowe’s shot.