The LSU Tigers are headed to Knoxville.
LSU scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and then held off an Oregon rally in the ninth for a 9-8 victory over the No. 14 seed Ducks in the championship game of the Eugene, Ore., Regional on Monday night.
LSU (38-23), which won four straight elimination games after losing to Gonzaga 3-0 in its regional opener, will face No. 3 seed Tennessee in a best-of-3 Super Regional matchup beginning Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn.
Tennessee (49-16) won the Knoxville Regional without losing a game.
The victory also extends the career of LSU coach Paul Mainieri, who announced his retirement after the regular season.
The regional title is the 25th in LSU history and the ninth under Mainieri.
Mainieri called it “one for the ages for us,” in his postgame press conference.
Oregon closed its season 39-16.
LSU and Oregon combined for 24 hits Monday. The Tigers had 10 and the Ducks 14.
After LSU scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead, Oregon answered with two in the top of the seventh to go back on top by one.
Gavin Dugas led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk and advanced to third on a double by Cade Doughty. With one out, Dugas beat a throw home on a Cade Doughty grounder to tie it. The play was reviewed and upheld.
Doughty then scored on a balk, giving the Tigers the lead. Jordan Thompson’s single made it 9-7.
Oregon got back-to-back singles with one out in the ninth. Josh Kasevich’s groundout scored a run, cutting LSU’s lead to one with two outs.
Pinch-hitter Tristan Hanoian singled, putting runners at first and third.
But Landon Marceaux got two quick strikes on Sam Novitske and induced a flyout to right field to end the game.
Dugas came up big at the plate, hitting two solo home runs.
An outfielder, Dugas was named the regional’s MVP. He went 6-of-8 with three home runs, two triples and six RBI.
Doughty went 3-for-4 with a double.
Drew Bianco went 2-for-4. His two-run home run with one out in the sixth gave LSU the 6-5 lead. Bianco also scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the fourth. That and Dugas’ second homer cut a 5-2 Oregon lead to 5-4.
LSU used six pitchers. Marceaux (7-6) got the win. He pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and one run.
Marceaux pitched on short rest after throwing 101 pitches in the loss to Gonzaga on Friday night.
“I couldn’t take the ball from him,” Mainieri said. “He’s been such a competitor all year. He wanted to pitch so badly tonight.”
Starter Ma’Khail Hilliard pitched one inning inning and didn’t allow a hit. Ty Floyd allowed two runs in one inning.
Michael Fowler gave up five hits and three runs in two innings. Will Hellmers relieved him and pitched two strong innings, allowing one hit and no runs.
Garrett Edwards allowed two runs in 2/3 of an inning before being relieved by Marceaux in the seventh.
Shortstop Thompson, outfielder Dylan Crews, infielder Zach Arnold and pitchers A.J. Labas and Javen Coleman were named to the All-Tournament team.
