LSU baseball lost its first game of the season against Omaha on Saturday afternoon. Cold hitting and a bullpen collapse were responsible for the loss.
LSU’s strong ninth inning was too little, too late after getting just one hit through the first eight. The Tigers struggled to execute in critical situations and could not overcome an ugly seventh inning.
LSU was awarded six free bases through the first two innings but did nothing to capitalize. Contact wasn’t hard to come by but base hits were.
LSU is primarily known for its powerhouse hitters but struggled against Omaha’s pitching staff, particularly regarding timing and pitch recognition. Like Friday night’s game, the hitters looked out of sync, swinging at pitches that the Tigers usually handle much more effortlessly.
Grant Fontenot came in to replace Anthony Eyanson after he threw a shutout through six innings. Fontenot hit three consecutive batters before being replaced by Connor Benge.
A few wild pitches from Benge set up Omaha to tally two quickly. Johnson’s confidence to keep him in looked like it would pay off after sequential strikeouts, ready to end the inning.
Then Jackson Trout hit a three-run home run to stretch the lead to five before the inning ended.
In the ninth, LSU showed the fight the fans in Alex Box were hoping for. When the game seemed to be slipping away, the offense finally came alive.
Tanner Reaves started things with a pinch-hit single. A couple walks and a Daniel Dickinson double set up Jared Jones and Josh Pearson to shrink the lead to one with just one out.
Derek Curiel escaped a narrow review after stealing third, putting him in position to score. With no hits through the majority of the game and relief pitching risking the game, LSU was in position to recover.
But the Tigers did not deliver. Ashton Larson struck out and Steven Milam flew out to end the game.
Eyanson was a bright spot, throwing six innings, allowing no runs off three hits, while striking out seven.
But few players offensively can be credited with an impressive game, the team had five hits total.
Daniel Dickinson had a double, two RBI and two walks. Jake Brown had a double and a walk.
The Tigers took their first loss of the season despite a near successful rallying attempt, Omaha won 5- 4.
Discipline behind the plate and turning batted balls into base hits is a must. LSU can’t afford to give up opportunities like they did today. Further, a bullpen performance like this one cannot be repeated.
If LSU falls to teams like Omaha that apply pressure like this, how will they handle the more competitive SEC play, where they will face tougher opponents and higher stakes?
