It was beautiful night filled with sunshine and clear skies for game two of the three game series between No. 1 LSU baseball and No. 11 Kentucky.
In the beginning of the game, junior catcher Alex Milazzo had his first error on the season although LSU’s junior right handed starter Ty Floyd was able to keep the visiting Wildcats off the board.
LSU’s first run came from sophomore third baseman Tommy White’s RBI double. He led the team in doubles entering the game and now has 14 on the season. Center fielder Dylan Crews, who leads the team in runs scored, beat out the throw at home plate for his 58th run scored of the year.
Kentucky’s senior right-handed starting pitcher Logan Martin, who was 1-1 entering tonight’s contest, finished his outing with 1.1 innings pitched, two walks, one strikeout and allowed three runs on three hits.
Senior designated hitter Chase Stanke ripped a two-run home run, his first of the season, over the right field wall and gave the Wildcats their first lead of the ball game in the second inning.
In the bottom half of the second inning, junior left fielder Tre’ Morgan smacked a two-RBI double to left field and gave the Tigers 3-2 lead. Then, senior right hander Darren Williams relieved Martin. Williams fired 61 pitches in three innings with three strikeouts and allowed three runs on three hits. He was credited with the win and his record now sits at 3-0.
In the fourth inning, Crews smacked an RBI double to right centerfield which kicked off a clutch three-run inning for the Tigers’ offense. The next batter, White, launched a two-run home run over the centerfield wall, his 12th of the season. White led the nation entering tonight’s game in RBIs per game with an average of 1.86 and total RBIs with 54.
LSU’s starter, Floyd, allowed an RBI single to sophomore catcher Devin Burkes in the top of the fifth inning and then was relieved by freshman left hander Griffin Herring. Floyd threw 91 pitches in 4.2 innings with three walks and three strikeouts while allowing five runs on six hits.
Herring’s first batter drilled a ground ball to White at third base and he fumbled it which allowed the bases to become loaded. The error is White’s fifth of the season and third in his last four games.
Herring allowed sophomore right fielder Nolan McCarthy to line a three-RBI triple to right field and then Stanke smacked an RBI single up the middle to give Kentucky the lead back. The score read 7-6 through five innings and the Wildcats answered the four-run deficit with a five-run rally.
Junior right fielder Brayden Jobert singled through the right side and then stole second base, his first stolen base of the season. Next, Kentucky felt the need to change pitchers and sophomore right hander Mason Moore relieved Williams.
LSU’s reliever, Herring, recorded his second error of the season, LSU’s third of the game, in the sixth inning on a ground ball bunt and then hit the next batter with a pitch to load the bases. With zero outs on the scoreboard, Stanke took advantage and lined an RBI single to center field.
In the seventh inning, Kentucky’s offense combined for five runs and extended its lead to six while facing Herring. With the bases still loaded and only one out, junior right hander Blake Money relieved Herring. Senior first baseman Hunter Gilliam flew out to right field, but senior center fielder Jackson Gray tagged up and scored Kentucky’s 12th run.
Herring threw 63 pitches in 1.2 innings with one strikeout, one walk and allowed seven runs on six hits. He was charged with the loss and his record drops to 2-1 on the season. Money threw 39 pitches in 2.2 innings with one strikeout and one walk while giving up one run on two hits.
“Brought Griffin in and Griffin has been good, but we didn’t make the play at third and didn’t make the play at right. That’s essentially the story of the game tonight,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. ”I thought after that he composed himself okay. He’s been really good for us. I thought Blake did a good job. You know, it’s tough. You have got to take care of the ball. You know that going into this weekend against that team. We did not. It just has to be a little bit better.”
After freshman first baseman Jared Jones was walked, Jobert recorded his second hit of the game with a double down the right field line. Even though LSU was down six runs, Alex Box Stadium’s noise level reflected Tiger fans’ belief that the game was not over yet.
Junior shortstop Jordan Thompson drove one run across home plate and cut Kentucky’s lead down to five with two innings left to play.
In the bottom half of the eighth inning, junior right hander Ryan Hagenow came in to relieve Moore and attempt to close out the game for the Wildcats. His first batter, Hagenow hit Morgan with a pitch and then Crews singled through the left side to load the bases. Hagenow walked White and an unearned run crossed home plate to make the score 12-8.
Senior right hander Ryder Giles relieved Hagenow after only 11 pitches.
Giles allowed Jones to plate two more runs for LSU with a single to left field. With two outs on the board and two runners in scoring position, Thompson came to the plate with a chance to at least even the score. He struck out and stranded the runners in scoring position.
Sophomore second baseman Emilien Pitre added an insurance run in the ninth inning with an RBI single, his third hit of the game. After a double play to end the game, the final score was 13-10 with Kentucky out hitting LSU 14-9.
Kentucky’s closer Giles was credited with his first save of the season. He threw 36 pitches in two innings with two strikeouts and one walk while only allowing one hit and zero runs.
“It definitely doesn’t feel good, that’s for sure. We hit well. We just got to play better defense. That’s about it,” Tommy White said.
Kentucky improves to 28-6, 10-4 in SEC play while LSU falls to 28-6 on the season, 8-5 in conference play. Game three is still scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, but there will be a meeting at 8 a.m. Saturday morning to decide when the best time is to play, according to Johnson.
