In his three seasons at LSU, junior pitcher Jared Poche’ has made many memories, but the 4-3 season ending loss to Coastal Carolina will probably be one he wants to forget.
“No one likes to lose,” Poche’ said after what might be his last game in Alex Box Stadium. “To lose a game to end the season is heart breaking. It’s tough to handle, but at the end of the day someone had to lose and unfortunately it was us.”
Coastal Carolina ended the Tigers’ season in walk-off fashion to punch its ticket to the College World Series. LSU was swept in a Super Regional for only the third time in program history.
Before the Chanticleers won, they had to fight off a scare from LSU after a wild sequence between outfielder Jake Fraley and Coastal Carolina first baseman Woody Woodall Jr.
Fraley laid down a perfectly executed bunt and he then sprinted down the first base line, only to collide and flip over Woodall and that allowed the game-tying run crossed home plate.
With a brand new ball game, LSU sent out junior closer Hunter Newman back on the mound to send the game to extras.
Newman issued a leadoff walk to Coastal Carolina left fielder Anthony Marks. After Marks stole second base, Michael Paez hit Newman’s curveball over the head of LSU third baseman Chris Reid to end the game.
Normally LSU coach Paul Mainieri wouldn’t pitch Newman longer than two or three innings , but with the win or go home position the Tigers were in, Mainieri had no choice but to bring him in the game earlier and pitch longer than normal.
“We wouldn’t be close to the position we’re in if it wasn’t for what that kid [Newman] has done,”Mainieri said. “Anybody that wants to blame him for this loss is gonna have to speak to me about that. I can defend that kid until the end of time.”
For five innings Poche’ battled against a potent Chanticleers lineup. But his five hit, six strikeout performance was overshadowed by miscues from his teammates.
Defensive gaffes put LSU in an early 2-0 deficit. LSU sophomore first baseman Greg Deichmann misplayed a slow ground out to first, which wound up being scoring opportunities for the Chants.
Coastal Carolina grabbed the lead after a wild pitch that was thrown for a strikeout, permitting a run to score from third. On the ensuing play, Chatelier junior designated hitter G.K. Young scored the next run, with an RBI single to right field.
“If we had played more fundamentally sound,” Mainieri said. “I think we’d be playing tomorrow, but I’m the one that takes responsibility for that.”
“They deserved it over us. They outcoached us, they outplayed us. They were just hungrier than we were this weekend.”
The LSU offense didn’t have problems stringing together hits, it just could not plate runs across when it mattered most. The Tigers collected 10 hits, but only scored two runs. In addition, LSU left 12 men on base and left the base loaded three times.
After over two decades of coaching experiences, Mainieri said these season-ending losses don’t get any easier, but said he’ll “deal” with it and “rise again”.
“You feel like you’re going to win right till the very end and then all of a sudden it’s over,” Mainieri said. “It’s like a punch in the gut. But you take it and you deal with it and you move on. I feel for these kids. I feel for our fans. Feel for everybody. It’s just a tough thing. But we’ll rise again.”
