OMAHA, Neb. – From the first inning of Game 10 from the 2015 College World Series it was clear that neither LSU nor TCU were prepared to see their seasons end. In the end it was TCU that came out on top, 8-4 on Thursday night in an elimination game. LSU, who entered the postseason as Perfect Game's No. 1 overall team and spent the majority of the second half of the season in that position, saw their season come to a close.

“We scratched and clawed and fought as hard as we could, but it was just not enough tonight,” LSU Head Coach Paul Mainieri said after the game. “Because of that, our season comes to an end.”

The game had no shortage of fireworks early in the game in what started as a back-and-forth affair. The teams exchanged blows through the first three innings before TCU scored three in the fifth that put them up for good.

It's a pretty remarkable feat for a team, despite owning the second best team ERA in the nation and the best hitting lineup in the Big 12, to even be in this position. The Horned Frogs looked to be on the verge of elmination themselves before they even made it to Super Regional play, much less the College World Series.

Down by seven runs heading into the bottom of the eighth inning in the Fort Worth Regional against N.C. State, TCU erupted for six runs in the eighth to pull within one, adding another run in the ninth to force extra innings and winning it in 10 with a walkoff. They took advantage of numerous miscues by the Wolfpack, including six errors, and routinely proved to be one of the most opportunitistic teams in the nation all season long.

They also won their Super Regional in dramatic fashion, once again taking advantage of an error in extra innings to beat Texas A&M and to secure a spot in Omaha.

LSU got a taste of these wily Frogs in their first matchup last Sunday, as a pair of fourth inning throwing errors by starter Jared Poche opened up what was previously a tightly pitched ballgame by both clubs. TCU won that game 10-3 to send LSU to the losers' bracket.

In Thursday's game LSU struck first with a single run in the top of the first, courtesy of an RBI single by catcher Kade Scivicque, who went 2-for-4 in the game and also erased a pair of Horned Frogs on the basepaths. Scivicque's hit scored Jake Fraley, who drew a one-out walk and promptly stole second base to put himself in scoring position.

It didn't take too long for TCU to respond, putting up three runs in the second inning which caused for an early exit for LSU starter Zac Person. The biggest blow was a two-run single by Garrett Crain, which followed a bases-loaded walk by Keaton Jones.

Once again LSU answered right back, as Alex Bregman, who hit a one-out single, scored on a triple by Fraley, who later scored on a wild pitch.

TCU starter Mitchell Traver didn't last much longer, getting pulled in the top of the fourth after walking Chris Chinea with one out. Traver last only 3 1/3 innings, but left with the game tied 3-3.

The Horned Frogs took the lead, again, in the fifth with an RBI double by Evan Skoug, which ended Austin Bain's night, and then Dane Steinhagen chipped in with a two-run single, making Jake Godfrey's appearance last only one batter without recording an out, giving TCU a 6-3 lead heading into the sixth.

“When we signed him and committed him we felt like he could be a special offensive player, Schlossnagle said of his young star-in-the-making, Evan Skoug. “So did Major League Baseball. We're real fortunate (to get him), unless he went really high in the draft we knew he wasn't a signable guy.

“His defense is really underappreciated. He's not a plus defender but he's done a good job with an older pitching staff. He's also a physical presence in a lineup that doesn't have a lot of physical presence. He's hit cleanup every day for us and we're happy to have him.”

Skoug added another RBI in the seventh on a groundout that scored Cody Jones, while Steinhagen did the same on an RBI single, scoring Connor Wanhanen. Skoug finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBI while Steinhagen was 3-for-4 with three driven in.

Jones continued to do his thing at the top of the order to spark the offense, reaching twice via bases on balls, coming around the score both times he reached.

“He's certainly the guy that makes us go,” Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “When he gets on base a lot of things can happen. He can steal a bag, he can score from first on a stretch-double (etc.). If you don't make pitches to him he can hit the ball out of the ballpark. He's an electric player, which is why he's the Big 12 Player of the Year and a sixth-round pick. Certainly he's the catalyst for our offense.”

Once TCU reclaimed the lead Trey Teakell, who came on in relief of Traver with one out in the fourth, shut down the LSU offense through the eighth inning by mixing between his upper-80s to low-90s fastball and his low-80s slider, facing the minimum number of batters in his time of the mound.

“It's probably been one of my favorite ones, just because I was able to really help my team in a big game,” Teakell said of his performance and how it stacked up with any other during his collegiate career. “It's probably the biggest game we played all year. Every game right now is probably the most important game of the season. I was fortunate to have a good outing today.”

His catcher was quick to offer praise given his vantage point behind the dish.

“Trey, as usual, is remarkable,” Skoug said after the game. “I mean, we ask so much of Trey. And for him to come in and be Mr. Reliable and come in give us several good innings and keep us in the ballgame is amazing. He's been doing it all year. He's really been a big part of my development as well as the rest of the freshmen.”

Preston Guillory recorded the last out in the eighth on a breaking ball that froze Scivicque, and also recorded the final three outs in the ninth, but not without a little drama to make things interesting.

With one out in the final inning Chris Sciambra hit what was ruled a double, but really was a popup to the shortstop that Keaton Jones misplayed, and may have been lost in the lights momentarily. The next batter, Andrew Stevenson, laced a more conventional double down the left field line that pulled LSU to within four.

Aside from that blemish, Teakell and Guillory provided 5 2/3 innings of near flawless baseball, led by Teakell's 4 1/3 perfect innings.

“When you're out watching guys play everybody doesn't have to throw 92 to 94 with a power breaking ball,” Schlossnagle said of his diverse pitching staff. “When you go to the bullpen you want to be able to change the look. Whether it be change the look from a slinger/slider like Preston Morrison or a power lefty like Alex Young I think it's important to have some variety on your pitching staff.”

Similar to LSU's first game against TCU the Tigers opened up the bullpen in an attempt to find the hot hand, using eight different arms to navigate their way through the game. Person was tagged for three runs in 1 1/3, as was Austin Bain. Jesse Stallings gave up two more runs in the seventh, recording just one out, as the Horned Frogs cruised to the win.

With the win TCU will face Vanderbilt for a second time during the College World Series and the third time this year on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. central. While Vanderbilt is expected to throw Walker Buehler, who was taken by the Dogers in the first round of this year's draft, Schlossnagle has yet to turn to lefthander Tyler Alexander, who was taken by the Tigers one round after Buehler. He also could go back to his senior ace, Preston Morrison, who last pitched on Sunday.

Either way, TCU needs to beat Vanderbilt twice to reach the finals.

“It's a lot of comfort when they're good, especially in a short series, or even out here as long as you stay in the winners' bracket,” Schlossnagle said of pitching staff. “Guys are going to have to pitch in different roles. We talked about that going in, you're going to have to be selfless. One of those four starters isn't going to get to pitch, but we're going to need you. It's all hands on deck and it's a nice luxury.”