Tigers drop yet another to ULL
LAFAYETTE — A left-handed pitcher with a devastating chang-up can be menacing against a young baseball team still struggling to find its identity.
LSU’s struggles with left-handed pitching continued at “baseball on the bayou” Tuesday night as Louisiana-Lafayette hammered the visiting No. 14 Tigers 7-0 in front of a rowdy 3,476 fans at M. L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
“It’s a great game for the fans,” said ULL coach Tony Robichaux. “It’s a great college baseball game for both sides. We were fortunate tonight that we were able to play a complete game against a team that’s trying to find themselves. [LSU is] going to be alright. They’re going to find themselves sooner or later.
“There is a price you pay to develop young kids. [LSU is] paying the price.”
The win by the Ragin Cajuns is their second in as many weeks over LSU (14-9, 1-2 Southeastern Conference), giving ULL (14-8) its first season sweep over the Tigers since 1994. The Cajuns beat LSU 2-1 last week at Alex Box Stadium behind a dazzling complete game from left-hander Justin Gabriel.
This time Cajuns’ left-hander Andy Gros (3-2, 1.62 ERA) did his teammate one better, baffling the Tigers on the mound with a complete game shutout.
Gros — using an array of change-ups clocked around 62 to 63 mph and an occasional fastball hitting the mid 80s — blanked LSU with seven strikeouts and limited the Tigers to seven hits.
Gros was 0-2 in his two previous career starts against LSU and didn’t get past the second inning in either appearance. Last season, he gave up four runs in two innings at Zephyr Field in New Orleans, and in 2000 he gave up four runs in 1 1/3 at the Box.
“[Gros] just mixed his change-up and fastball really well,” said LSU third baseman Wally Pontiff. “I’ve faced him two other times and he didn’t have the kind of stuff he had tonight. You just have to tip your hat to him and tell him that he played a good game. He had his good stuff tonight, and he beat us.”
Gros said the conditioning that ULL pitchers have helps their stamina when going deep into games. He also said he wasn’t concerned about pitching a shutout.
“We won, that’s the biggest thing,” Gros said.
Pontiff extended his current hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the top of the ninth inning.
LSU catcher Chris Phillips led the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-3. LSU left six men on base.
LSU coach Smoke Laval did not have an answer for the Tigers‚ recent struggles.
“I don’t know,” he said. “If I knew, I would fix it. Of course, [ULL is] on a mission, and we’re still trying to find oursleves. That’s the bottom line.”
Not much went right for the Tigers on the mound or in the field either.
LSU starter Jason Vargas was chased after three innings in which he gave up four runs, three earned, and a three-run home run to Cajuns’ right fielder Corey Coles.
Closer Brian Wilson relieved Vargas in the fourth and gave up three more runs in the fifth and sixth.
“I’m almost at a loss of what to say,” Pontiff said. “It’s hard to keep coming up with excuses when your team doesn’t play well. It’s not like we’re not trying. Things just aren’t falling for us right now.”
The Cajuns roped 10 timely hits led by Brad Saloom, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Coles hit 1-for-3 with two runs scored in addition to his home run. Jason Wilson also scored two runs for ULL.
The Tigers’ defense committed two more errors leading to three unearned runs, bringing their season total to 46 errors and 38 unearned runs.
LSU has now lost four out of its last five games. They will next play Ole Miss this weekend in Oxford, Miss.
“There’s no way we’re as bad as we‚re playing. That’s impossible,” Laval said. “We’ve got to start over [Wednesday] — brand new season. It’s wearing on us. The kids are over-trying.”
Game Notes
LSU left fielder Matt Heath was ejected by home plate umpire Travis Hargroder in the top of the seventh inning for arguing a called third strike.
Graham Thomas