Arkansas’ Heartbreak in College World Series: LSU Advances After Outfield Blunder

The Arkansas Razorbacks were one out away from keeping their College World Series dreams alive against the LSU Tigers, but a heart-wrenching miscue in left field flipped the script. Charles Davalan, Arkansas’ left fielder, had a routine fly ball from LSU’s Luis Hernandez come his way—a 104-mph screamer that should’ve sealed the deal. Instead, a slip and a misjudged bounce off his shoulder sent the ball rolling toward the wall, letting two LSU runners scamper home to knot the score at 5-5.

Arkansas had just snatched the lead in the ninth, thanks to Justin Thomas’ clutch two-RBI single. But LSU’s Jared Jones, who’d already tied it with a solo homer in the eighth, wasn’t done. His walk-off single, a liner that glanced off second baseman Cam Kozeal’s glove, sent Hernandez home for the 6-5 victory, punching LSU’s ticket to the championship series.

The Tigers erupted in celebration, while Davalan, overcome with emotion, was consoled by teammates on the field. LSU now sets its sights on Coastal Carolina, who cruised past Louisville 11-3, in a best-of-three battle for the national title.