OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Florida scored the most runs in College World Series history and came up one short of the record for largest margin of victory in a 24-4 rout of LSU on Sunday that forced a deciding Game 3.
The Gators hit six home runs on a windy day at Charles Schwab Field and pounded LSU pitching for a CWS record-tying 23 hits a day after Ty Floyd struck out 17 in the Tigers' 4-3, 11-inning win in Game 1.
The teams play the final game of the College World Series on Monday night, with the winner earning the national championship.
Florida (54-16) came in having been involved in four of the CWS record-tying eight one-run games. The Gators had totaled 17 runs in four games here before the offense broke loose.
Ty Evans and Jac Caglianone each homered twice, with Evans' grand slam breaking things open early. Wyatt Langford and BT Riopelle also went deep.
Florida's 24 runs broke Notre Dame's CWS record, set in a 23-2 win over Northern Colorado in 1957. The 20-run win over the Tigers (53-17) ranks second to that game for largest margin.
The Gators hadn’t scored so many runs since a 28-5 win over Winthrop on March 3, 2019.
LSU hadn’t given up so many in any of its 245 NCAA Tournament games. The Tigers committed a season-high five errors that led to six unearned runs.
Langford was 5 for 5 with six RBIs with two doubles and his homer.
Evans' shot down the left-field line off Nate Ackenhausen (3-1) tied it 1 in the second. His grand slam off Gavin Guidry in the third was a high fly that looked to be headed foul, but the 20-mph wind blowing left to right pushed it inside the left-field foul pole.
The Tigers should have been out of the third before Evans came to bat, but shortstop Jordan Thompson’s fielding error cost them a chance at a double play and kept going what became a six-run inning.
Langford connected in the fifth, and Caglianone followed with his nation-leading 32nd and 33rd homers.
Florida starter Hurston Waldrep, who had allowed two earned runs in 21 innings in the NCAA Tournament, went just 2 1/3. He walked six, hit two batters and allowed four hits in his shortest appearance of the season, not counting a start against Vanderbilt when he didn’t return after one inning because of a rain delay.
LSU did next to nothing against Florida relievers Blake Purnell (2-0) and Nick Ficarrotta. They combined to pitch 6 1/3 innings of three-hit relief.
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