Inan effort to keep its season alive, the LSU baseball team found away to win, 6-5, Saturday against Baylor in the NCAA SuperRegional, setting up a Sunday showdown for a trip to the CollegeWorld Series in Omaha, Neb.
               LSUjumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings but Baylorchipped the lead away to 4-3 in the seventh and finally took a 5-4lead. But back-to-back solo home runs to right-center field fromLSU first baseman Clay Harris and third baseman Ivan Naccarataregained the lead for good for the Tigers.
               ”Ithought it was an extremely well-played competitive game,”said Baylor coach Steve Smith. “I don’t know what moreyou can ask for with what was on the line. Both teams hadopportunities they let get away from time to time in the game. Ithink the game was a lot closer than the scoreindicated.”
               LSUlefty reliever Jason Determann (7-0) picked up the win, pitchingthree scoreless innings in relief of Bo Pettit – who wasplagued by a blister on his throwing hand. Pettit lasted sixinnings and allowed four earned runs.
               RyanLaMotta (7-3) – who gave up Naccarata’s home run togive LSU (44-20-1) a 6-5 lead – took the loss.
           ”Itwas a pitch that was up and in and during the whole game I wasputting my foot down and hitting balls,” Naccaratasaid. ”Coach told me to work on that all game and itpaid off at the end.”
               Harrisled off the inning with his 15th home run of the season,an opposite field shot off Abe Woody which ricocheted off thescoreboard.
               ”Wellwhen I got up there I just wanted to start something off because Iwas leading off the inning,” Harris said. ”We weredown by a one and I knew a base runner was important.  I justwanted to get a good pitch to drive and I got one up in theair.”            
               LSUcoach Smoke Laval said he knew the Bears (45-22) would get back inthe game.
“We jumped on them in the first inning and I thought theymay go away, but not in regional,” Laval said. ”Wegot one in the second and the funny thing is that nobody knows thatBo (Pettit) was coming out in the third.  He had a blisterthat nobody here could pitch with and he just muscled his waythrough it until we could get to (Jason) Determann.  JasonDetermann comes in and does it again to set it up for all themarbles.”
               LSUjumped on Bears starter Sean Walker for four runs in the first twoinnings, powered by an opposite field, two-run home run from LSUshortstop Aaron Hill – his ninth of the year.
               Wildpitches also cost Walker in the first two innings as Bruce Sprowlscored on a wild pitch in the first. Another wild pitch from Walkerin the second allowed LSU designated hitter Ryan Patterson to go tothird base after reaching on a double. Patterson later scored on aJon Zeringue ground ball.
               Baylorbegan to chip away in the bottom of the second and third with anRBI single from Trey Webb to score Mark Saccomanno, and an RBIdouble from David Murphy. Saccomanno reached base again in thefourth on a triple and scored on a wild pitch from Pettit to cutthe lead to 4-3.
               Pettitthen battled through the blister on his finger through the fifthand sixth before giving way to Determann in the seventh with Bearson first and second and no one out.
               ”Itstarted off earlier in the season as a callous, which is what apitcher wants it to be, but then it started to develop into alittle blood blister,” Pettit said. “Shawn (Eddy) thetrainer would pop it every now and then, but sooner or later thatthing is going to get worse and it has. I’ve got the skin rippedoff of it now.”
Determann retired the first two batters he faced before an RBIsingle from Chris Durbin and an RBI double from David Murphy gavethe Bears a 5-4 lead.
               Thisinning came after LSU squandered a chance in the seventh with tworunners on and no one out and did not score.
               AfterLSU regained the lead in the eighth, Determann got through theeighth and worked a scoreless ninth, despite some close calls.Durbin drove one to center field about 403 feet that drove Tigerscenter fielder J.C. Holt to the wall, and Murphy ripped a linedrive which Determann snagged for the final out.
              ”LikeBo (Pettit) said I just tried to go out there and pitch my game andnot just try and overpower guys,” Determann said. “Nottry to throw it by them or anything and just throw at the black.For the most part of the game, I was able to do that I think. Theygot a few balls up and they definitely hit a few balls hard off ofme. You noticed that last one, it actually came back in the glove.On the one before that, I think it was a blessing that Wally (thewind) was blowing in. It was a big team effort today and everybodycame around.”
               AddedLaval, “We were fortunate. Maybe this win will loosen usup.”