After a loss in game one on Friday against South Carolina, LSU bounced back with winning efforts in games two and three this weekend.
The Tigers needed a clutch hit from sophomore outfielder Antoine Duplantis in the tenth inning of game three to close out the series with a 7-6 win.
The clutch hit was something the Tigers lacked throughout the weekend. The team left a grand total of 30 men on base, 17 of which were in scoring position.
The Tigers’ inability to hit with runners in scoring position was the reason for their 3-2 loss in game one. It was the second time this season junior pitcher Alex Lange threw a complete game, and lacked the run support needed for a win.
“[Lange] dominated the game from the third inning on,” coach Paul Mainieri said in an interview after game one. “He seemed like he got stronger as the game went on and gave us a good chance to win. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t cash in on some opportunities, and we end up losing by a run.”
Game two saw senior pitcher Jared Poche return to his early season form, giving one run on three hits in seven innings of work. Senior second baseman Cole Freeman and freshman center fielder Zach Watson both drove in two runs a piece in the 5-2 victory for the Tigers on Saturday.
Sunday’s rubber match saw the Tigers’ bats come alive. The team tallied a total of 17 hits, including five by Duplantis, one of which was his walk-off single in the tenth inning.
It was the sixth time this season that the team had 15 or more hits in a game; however, the seven runs scored was the lowest amount of runs scored in those six games.
“I thought our kids really swung the bats well all day,” Mainieri said following game three. “We were confident and aggressive at the plate, but we didn’t have enough to show for it, because we hit so many balls hard right at people.
Tigers close to a national seed
After Sunday’s big win, LSU is only one game behind Florida and Mississippi State for the conference lead.
The Tigers have eight games remaining on the schedule, including two more conference series. The Tigers play at home against Auburn later this week and on the road next weekend at Mississippi State.
LSU needs to win both series to solidify their shot at a national seed and the chance to host a super regional.
“Don’t count the LSU Tigers out, because we’re hanging in there,” Mainieri said. “We’re fighting right to the end, we’re trying to make our fans proud of us, and we’ve got six big ball games left in this league over the final two weeks of the regular season.”
As for their next game, LSU faces South Alabama in the Box on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
