For seven-and-a-half innings, the LSU baseball team looked much like the team that had lost eight of its previous nine conference games.
The Tigers couldn’t buy a hit, the opponent got all the clutch hitting it could possibly ask for, and the crowd of 4,378 seemed disinterested to say the least.
For seven-and-a-half innings, that is.
Then, just like that, in the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers (26-17, 5-14), who came into the game with a 4-14 conference record, found their mojo to capture a 9-5 win against Kentucky (20-23, 4-15).
Junior outfielder Mason Katz knocked in what would prove to be the winning runs with a pinch-hit two-run single. It was Katz’ first at-bat since breaking his hand in the Auburn series.
“I didn’t even know he’d be available until a couple of days ago,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said of Katz. “When I saw them bring in that left-hander, I didn’t have to look far for Katz. He came running toward me with fire in his eyes.”
The smash was the high point of an eight-run inning that vaulted LSU to just their second conference win since April 3.
“We rose to the occasion in the eighth inning,” said junior Mikie Mahtook, who contributed with a double in the inning and scored on the go-ahead run in the passed ball. “We aren’t losing anymore. We don’t want to have that feeling of being so close and giving it up in the end. Guys are going up there fighting hard and getting on base.”
It all started with a walk to junior first baseman Grant Dozar, who scored LSU’s only run prior to the eighth inning.
Then it started snowballing.
LSU scored eight runs on the strength of six hits in the inning, forcing Kentucky to use five pitchers in the frame.
“To score eight runs in one inning without a home run, you know you’ve got some good breaks,” Mainieri said. “This team was ready for some good breaks. We deserve some good breaks. I
promised everybody this team wouldn’t quit, and they didn’t quit tonight.”
The Wildcats had their ace on the mound to start the inning, but lifted him after he gave up a hit to Tyler Ross, the second Tiger to bat in the eight-run eighth.
That ace, Kentucky junior pitcher Alex Meyer, looked masterful against the struggling Tiger lineup, hurling seven mostly spectacular innings.
“He was as good as we’ve faced this year,” Mainieri said. “His slider was absolutely nasty. But his command was the best he’s ever had against us. For seven innings he overpowered us.”
Meyer came into the game leading the Southeastern Conference with 80 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings, and didn’t disappoint against the Tigers.
The junior right-hander
tallied 10 strikeouts in seven innings, including seven strikeouts against LSU’s No. 2, 3 and 5 hitters.
Included in that group was Mahtook, who completed baseball’s dubious version of the hat trick with three strikeouts against Meyer.
LSU freshman starter Kurt McCune limited Kentucky to two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. But the Tigers’ bullpen faltered as sophomore Kevin Berry and freshman Nick Rumbelow gave up a combined three runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Freshman Kevin Gausman (2-5) will take the hill for LSU tonight as they go for their first SEC series win since the Ole Miss series April 1-3.
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at
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