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Paul Skenes describes emotions of playing in intense win over Wake Forest

On3 imageby:Andrew Graham•06/23/23•

AndrewEdGraham

Wake Forest v LSU
(Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

LSU ace Paul Skenes delivered another gem on the bump for the Tigers on Thursday night, stymying the Wake Forest offense in an elimination game. And for all the tension of a scoreless elimination game carrying into the late inning, Skenes was nonplussed.

Standing on the rubber 60-plus feet from home plate, Skenes doesn’t have the mental space to be caught up in the emotions or the moment. He’s focused on his own pitching, not even watching much of Wake Forest ace Rhett Lowder.

To be honest, I think it was, it might have been cooler for the people in the stands than it was for me just because all it comes down to is just executing. I didn’t watch a whole lot of Lowder’s outing. Obviously he did really well, executed really well,” Skenes said.

Lowder threw 88 pitches in seven innings of work, giving up no runs and three hits while striking out six LSU batters.

But Skenes did one better. The LSU star went through eight innings, giving up just two hits and striking out nine. He threw 120 pitches and was still flirting with triple digits on the gun late into the game. And with Lowder silencing the LSU bats, Skenes did his part to return the favor.

And it all set up for Tommy White to walk it off with a two-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning, sending LSU to the championship series and a matchup with Florida.

“But just comes down to slowing the game down and going out there and executing,” Skenes said.

Ben McDonald reacts to Paul Skenes breaking his long-standing SEC strikeout record

Skenes entered the game with 200 strikeouts. That was just shy of the SEC season strikeout record of 202, which was owned by Ben McDonald, a former LSU ace. Skenes broke that record in just the second inning.

McDonald then took to Twitter, where he reacted to his strikeout record being broken.

“Records are made to be broken…it gives dreamers something to strive for!” McDonald tweeted. “Never easy to see ur record broken but it’s a lot sweeter when it stays in the [LSU baseball] family…congrats to [Paul Skenes] you deserve it kid! Now….Geaux win it all! #4everLSU.”

If McDonald could have chosen anyone to break his record, Skenes may very well have been his choice. As another LSU Tiger, the SEC single-season strikeout leader still pitched in Baton Rouge.