LSU coach Paul Mainieri had a key decision to make prior to his squad’s game against North Carolina Tuesday afternoon, but his choice backfired in a 4-2 loss to the Tar Heels.
In what was a “win or go home” situation in an elimination game between LSU and UNC, Mainieri chose to start sophomore southpaw Cody Glenn against a left-handed heavy Tar Heels lineup.
Glenn hadn’t started in a game for the Tigers since May 22 after being suspended for the Regional round of the postseason following a violation of team rules. It was a gamble to start the second-year left hander, and it worked against LSU.
“I thought Cody looked really good to start the game,” Mainieri said. “His sinker ball was working good, and he was pounding the zone. Then ‘boom,’ he lays one in there and [UNC junior catcher Brian Holberton] hits a two-run homer on the next pitch.”
The southpaw surrendered three runs on five hits in two innings pitched. He was relieved by senior Brent Bonvillain in the third inning.
Bonvillain proceeded to toss 4 1/3 innings of five-hit, one-run baseball and record three strikeouts. He kept LSU in the contest until senior Chris Cotton took his place on the mound in the seventh inning.
“Everybody in the World Series is great hitters,” Bonvillain said. “I just tried to go out there and throw strikes. I didn’t have my best stuff today, and…they fought off a lot of pitches. They didn’t miss too much.”
Cotton would allow an inherited runner to score after UNC freshman right fielder Skye Bolt laced an RBI single to left field.
Offensively, LSU had its share of opportunities to drive runs across the plate.
Senior left fielder Raph Rhymes came to the plate with the bases loaded once and two runners on twice, and he failed to deliver in the clutch on all three occasions. Rhymes left a total of eight batters on base.
“We’ve grown accustomed to [Rhymes] being so consistent,” Mainieri said as he fought back tears. “He’s the greatest kid in the world, and I love him like my own children. I just feel bad for him. Knowing that kid, he’s going to blame himself, and he can’t do that.”
Freshman outfielder Mark Laird had a chance to turn the tide of the game in the bottom of the eighth when he came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, but a flyout to left field ended the Tigers threat.
LSU did manage to scratch two runs across, though. Senior first baseman Mason Katz laced an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to give the Tigers their first run of the contest.
Freshman shortstop Alex Bregman hit into a double play with runners on first and third and one out in the bottom of the seventh, driving LSU’s second run home.
The Tigers will now travel back to Baton Rouge after a disappointing end to a 2013 campaign that saw them go 57-11.
Katz says that he has no regrets from this season.
“This is the closest team I’ve ever played on,” he said. “Eventually we’re going to look at what we did do, and see how it was a pretty remarkable season besides winning the big thing. Overall, I have zero regrets whatsoever. This was the best baseball season of my life regardless, and I would never want to play with another group of guys.”
