LSU remains alive with win over Oregon State

Alex Lange pitched 7 1/3 outstanding innings as No. 4 seed LSU staved off elimination and snapped top-seeded Oregon State’s 23-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory Friday at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

LSU will face Oregon State for a third time Saturday. The winner of bracket one advances to the championship round against Florida or TCU.

Lange (10-5) prevented the Tigers (51-18) from seeing their season end by allowing one run and two hits in 7 1/3 innings. The first-round pick of the Chicago Cubs struck out eight, walked four and threw 115 pitches.

Zach Hess recorded the final five outs for the save as LSU’s pitching retired the final 13 hitters.

Josh Smith drove in two runs as LSU rebounded from its 13-1 loss to the Beavers (56-5) on Monday. He had an RBI single and in the second and a solo homer in the seventh.

Oregon State starter Jake Thompson (14-1) allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The Beavers were handed their first loss since April 29 versus USC and never had a leadoff hitter on base in any inning. Tyler Malone and Michael Gretler had the hits for the Beavers, whose previous season low was four hits against Indiana in the season opener on Feb. 17.

LSU took a 1-0 lead with none out in the second on a single up the middle by Josh Smith and went up 2-0 on a sacrifice bunt by Beau Jordan after Smith’s single.

Oregon scored on a bases-loaded walk by Trevor Larnach with two outs in the third. Lange escaped further trouble by striking out KJ Harrison.

LSU went up 3-1 when Smith opened the seventh with a homer to right on the first pitch.