Two nights in Hoover, two come from behind wins for the No. 5 seed LSU baseball team.

After a 14-inning marathon with No. 4 seed Florida, the Tigers (41-17) defeated the Gators 5-3. LSU junior catcher Jordan Romero provided the go-ahead run with his RBI single and junior second baseman Cole Freeman sealed the victory with his single.

LSU sophomore pitcher Alex Lange finally was able to make the start against Florida.

Lange (8-3) “politicked” LSU coach Paul Mainieri last week to start the first game against the the Gators, but had his start cut short, due to severe weather. His start got off to a rough one, and it didn’t like the hurler would last long in the game.

But Lange would settle in for a 112-pitch outing after being roughed up in the first inning when he allowed two runs, gave up three hits and issued two walks. He would go on to pitch a shutout the rest of the way and finished the game matching season-high strikeouts, with 11.

Florida (44-12) junior pitcher A.J. Puk matched Lange on the opposite end. Puk stymied the Tigers bats for seven and 1//3 innings and allowed six hits.

The LSU offense came alive in the top of the eighth when the Gators made a pitching change. Trailing 2-0 in the top of the third, the Tigers scored three runs to give them their first lead of the game.

Florida would battle back in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, sending it into extras innings. Both teams fought each other back and forth during the extra periods, but the Gators almost walked away with a victory.

With the bases loaded and only one out in the bottom of the 11 inning, Mainieri decided to change his defensive alignment and put five infielders in the infield. Somehow, it worked.

Freshman third baseman Chris Reid would make a diving grab, for one out and tagged third base converting a double play to end the frame and any scoring threat from the Gators.
LSU has now won 13 of its last 14 games and will face No. 1 seed Mississippi State on Thursday at 8 p.m.