College World Series : LSU Sends Maine Packing; Oklahoma St. Is Still Alive

OMAHA, Neb. —  Jeff Yurtin went 4 for 4, including his 10th home run of the season, and knocked in five runs to lead LSU to an 8-4 victory over Maine in an elimination game at the NCAA College World Series Sunday.

In a later game, Rob Walton and Gordie Dillard combined for a seven-hit shutout as fourth-ranked Oklahoma State sent home Indiana State, 4-0.

“We weren’t about to leave after two games,” said Dillard, who came on in relief of Walton and struck out four of five batters he faced.

Oklahoma State (55-14) advances to Wednesday’s 2:10 p.m. PDT elimination game against the loser of tonight’s Loyola Marymount-Arizona game. Eighth-ranked Indiana State (40-21) was making its first appearance in the national championship series.

Second-ranked LSU (55-13) plays Wednesday at 5:10 p.m. PDT in another elimination game against the loser of Tuesday’s Miami-Florida State game.

Seventh-ranked Maine (41-23) was eliminated.

LSU jumped to a 6-0 lead in the fourth as Yurtin doubled home two runs in the first and singled in two more with the bases loaded in the third.

Yurtin hit a solo homer in the seventh to offset a two-run homer by Maine’s Bill Reynolds in the sixth.

Maine out-hit LSU, 11-8, but the Tigers turned four double plays.

Stan Loewer (14-4), picked up the win and Gregg Patterson the save for LSU. Jeff Plympton, (8-3) took the loss.

Indiana State’s Mike Gardiner (8-3) allowed just one hit in facing the minimum 21 batters through seven innings.

Then Oklahoma State’s Jimmy Barragan hit a one-out single in the eighth, took third on Adam Smith’s single and scored on Scott Wilkinson’s sacrifice fly.

Walton (13-2) left the game with two out in the bottom of the eighth when the Sycamores put a runner at second, but Dillard came on to strike out Boi Rodriguez on three pitches, then struck out the side in the ninth.

The Cowboys added three on the ninth on Robin Ventura’s run-scoring double and RBI singles by Jim Ifland and Smith.

“Their pitchers did an outstanding job,” Indiana State Coach Bob Warn said. “The difference early in the game was they couldn’t get any hits and we got hits but couldn’t score.”