LSU’s Saturday night win against Nebraska came with a Frisco Baseball Classic record attendance of 11,003 and a final score of 11-6.
The fans got quite the show. At the top of the fourth inning, the Tigers trailed the Huskers 5-0.
“5-0 is not a big deal for this team,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said.
The first inning started fast after a Derek Curiel leadoff base hit landed the Tigers with a man on and no outs.
The celebration was short-lived, though, as Curiel is picked off at first for the first out of the game.
The bottom of the first didn’t offer any encouragement either, as LSU pitcher Anthony Eyanson gave up a leadoff double, eventually leading to a three-run first for Nebraska.
In the bottom of the second, everything seemed bleak for the Tigers. Eyanson walks leadoff Husker Gabe Swansen, who steals second and third base on a wild pitch.
Swansen would score on a ground out from teammate Riley Silva, tacking another run to a now 4-0 start by Nebraska.
Wild pitches and base hits in the bottom of the third inning added to LSU’s early woes.
However, through the adversity, Eyanson made sure to keep a positive mindset.
“The most important pitch is the next one,” Eyanson said.
Eyanson recouped his focus and kept the damage to just one run as the Tigers escaped down 5-0.
“I have the greatest defense behind me, and it feels good to pitch knowing that you have that behind you,” Eyanson said.
In the fourth, LSU finally found a way around the bases, scoring after getting a read on Huskers pitcher Ty Horn.
Josh Pearson, Tanner Reaves and Steven Milam scored in the inning as the Tigers cut the deficit to two.
On the mound, Johnson gave Eyanson the nod to lead another inning. “Even though we gave up a run in the third, I just saw something,” Johnson said. “I know [Eyanson] isn’t gonna quit, and I knew he wasn’t gonna want me to come get him until he was done with his outing.”
LSU never looked back once it nabbed the lead in the fourth.
In the sixth, a hard-hit ground ball finds its way to Tiger Daniel Dickinson’s glove. While out of position, Dickinson flips it to Milam, who hauls over from shortstop. Milam bare hands the flipped ball and fires a corkscrew to teammate Jared Jones at first base, beating the runner and saving what should’ve been a base hit.
Even with the freakish athleticism shown on the play, it’s just another day at the office for LSU.
“It’s kind of expected from us to make that play,” Milam said.
The inning would close out Eyanson’s day on the mound, who finished with seven hits, five runs, and seven strikeouts. His ERA on the season now sits at 3.18, which may not seem stellar, but Eyanson threw one hit in the last half of his outing, getting significantly more settled in the more batters he faced.
The Tigers poured it on until the end of the ninth inning. With the help of a vast sea of purple and gold in the stands, LSU played some of the most athletic baseball in the country to solidify their 11-6 comeback victory.
Several Tigers, including Pearson, Dickinson, Chris Stanfield and Tanner Reaves, had noteworthy performances.
Pearson went 4-for-5 with three doubles and three runs scored.
Dickinson’s outlandish plays at second base, accompanied by his timely hitting and patient at-bats, played a considerable role in LSU’s win.
As the nine-hole hitter, Stanfield was nothing short of timely, turning the order over several times and going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
Reaves had some of the most clutch hitting of the night, advancing runners on base in high-leverage two-out spots while batting 2-for-3 with a run himself.
“Down five right away, we’ve been there,” Milam said. “I feel like they just kind of folded. I mean, we had 17 hits that game. I don’t know how you game plan for that.”
No coach wants to play come-from-behind baseball, but Johnson has been clear that he is confident in his team’s ability to win any game.
“There’s no clock in baseball,” Johnson said.
The Tigers’ “Cardiac Cats” moniker isn’t going away soon.
LSU has learned a lot about itself over the past 10 days. The Tigers have constantly had to prove themselves in big-time situations, which will only benefit them in the long run.
The loss to Omaha has lit a fire in this team that no one has been able to extinguish since.
LSU will finish their weekend at the Frisco Baseball Classic against Sam Houston State on Sunday afternoon.
