LSU followed up a 22-7 loss on Friday with a 12-0 victory on Saturday. Coach Paul Mainieri said the outcomes of the two contests were like a boxing match.
“There’s something to be said about getting knocked on your back and having your nose bloodied and not lay there and give up but instead get back on your feet and ultimately win the bout,” Mainieri said.
The Tigers were knocked down early, but got back to their feet and put themselves in position to take the series with a win on Sunday.
AJ Labas got the start on the mound for the series rubber match, looking to move past his first two starts. Coming into the game, Labas sported a 5.40 ERA and opponents were hitting .368 against the right hander. Saturday starter Landon Marceaux said Friday’s loss “fueled the fire” for him going into his start. Labas felt a similar motivation to avenge the blowout defeat.
Right away, LSU began throwing haymakers by making strong contact off Oral Roberts’ starter early. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t land many. Dylan Crews flew out to nearly the center field warning track, Tre’ Morgan lined out to left field, Brody Drost hit a sharp ground ball back up the middle and Cade Beloso lined out to right field. Morgan hit a triple in his next at bat during the third inning, but was left stranded.
While LSU’s offense was held in check, Labas did the same to the opposition. He struck out six batters through four scoreless innings and threw 42 of his 56 pitches for strikes. In the next half inning, LSU got on the board for the first and only time when Jordan Thompson hit an RBI single to score Zach Arnold.
Labas kept his shutout going through the end of his outing. He was replaced by Garrett Edwards for the start of the seventh inning and finished his day with six strikeouts, six hits and no walks in six scoreless innings. He went the same distance as his teammate Marceaux did the day before.
The fight was coming down to the wire. With a one run lead and the series on the line, Mainieri went to two freshmen to get LSU to the ninth. Edwards pitched the seventh and struck out two to get around a double and a walk without a run scored. In the eighth, Will Hellmers didn’t have the same luck. A two-out double from Oral Roberts’ Caleb Denny off the right field wall brought in the tying run from first base, and two throwing errors from Arnold and Hellmers allowed Denny to get to third and then to score. With one swing of the bat and the Golden Eagles down to their last four outs, LSU lost its lead.
“It’s a learning experience for Will there,” Mainieri said. “The last thing you want to do is give them a gift. It’s a teaching point that we had to learn the hard way.”
After a Gavin Dugas walk and Arnold single, Hayden Travinski flew out to centerfield to move Dugas to third. With runners on the corners and down one, Mitchell Sanford hit a sharp ground ball to the right of the Oral Roberts shortstop. He dove, and the ball found his glove. He got to his feet and delivered an accurate throw to first base quickly, robbing Sanford of a game-tying RBI single.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Mainieri said. “It had base hit written all over it. You tip your hat to them.”
Devin Fontenot came on to pitch the top of the ninth with Mainieri hoping he could get LSU to the bottom of the inning still down just one. Instead, the preseason All-American hit a batter, balked, and gave up an RBI single to increase his team’s deficit to two runs. It was his third consecutive appearance allowing a run.
Down to its final three outs, LSU went three up, three down in the bottom of the ninth. Crews flew out in his final at bat, and lost his 11 game hitting streak after going 0 for 4. Morgan grounded out for the final out, and the Golden Eagles erupted before pouring out of the away dugout as 3-1 winners. After getting back on its feet from an early knockdown, the Tigers late game defensive collapse gave them their first series loss of the season.
“We couldn’t get enough going, we couldn’t get another run,” Mainieri said. “Trying to win a 1-0 game… one break or one good at bat can turn the game around and that’s what ended up happening.”
