LSU baseball’s series opener against Alabama went rapidly south Thursday, but flipped just as fast – all thanks to the long ball.
In a game that featured seven home runs, the Tigers prevailed 11-6.
Facing a 5-1 deficit in the sixth, a pair of pinch hitters sparked LSU, as senior outfielder Josh Pearson’s singled and sophomore outfielder Ashton Larson subsequently hit a three-run homer.
The decision by Tiger head coach Jay Johnson would be the tipping point that LSU needed to get out of its slump.
“It was the most pivotal at-bat in the game tonight,” Johnson said.
Larson’s had a reduced role this year after holding down a starting outfield spot as a freshman, but he was still ready for the crucial moment.
“It’s not necessarily how I pictured it going into the year,” Larson said of his season so far. “It’s just about us winning, honestly. I’m as ready as I can be.”
Sophomore shortstop Steven Milam would add another three-run home run in the seventh to officially put LSU over the top.
Junior designated hitter Ethan Frey put one more two-run shot out the park for extra measure in the eighth inning, and Jared Jones scored later in the frame to round out the scoring for the night.
LSU summoned the clutch hitting that had evaded it last weekend, when the team was disappointingly swept by Auburn for the first time since 1988.
“One of our sayings is ‘there’s no clock in baseball,’” Johnson said. “Had zero momentum in the game… I think it says a lot about just staying with baseball.”
Sophomore starting pitcher Kade Anderson gave up four home runs that could’ve been back-breaking if not for LSU’s comeback. It spoiled what was a nearly spotless start up until the sixth inning.
Despite two solo home runs in the first and third frames, Anderson had allowed no other hits and struck out 10 of 18 batters after sitting down the first man he faced in the sixth.
From there, Anderson allowed a single, followed by two consecutive home runs, which lifted Alabama to a 5-1 lead.
Jacob Mayers entered the game and threw a scoreless third of an inning before being replaced by Casan Evans.
“Once we got it to one run with nine outs to go, with the ballpark live again, you know, winning close games is about who matches up better, and I made the decision with [Casan],” said Johnson.
Evans would go on to throw 2.1 innings and single-handedly restrained the Tide while his offense finally found its footing, being credited with the win.
Evans entered the game in the seventh inning and closed out the night for LSU, throwing two strikeouts and a walk in just 35 pitches thrown. Evans’ steady performance was crucial to the Tigers’ win.
“I’ll go in the training room after and do my recovery, and then the next 24 hours after that, its just to recover and get ready for Saturday,” Evans said.
Having only thrown 35 pitches, if LSU’s bullpen becomes depleted he will be a viable option to pitch in relief later in the weekend.
Anderson received little help from LSU’s offense in the early going. The Tigers stranded six runners in the first five innings, twice failing to bring home a runner on third with one out.
LSU’s down weekend against Auburn dropped the Tigers to 10-5 in SEC play. Against the state of Alabama’s other top-15 SEC team, LSU got back on the right track and maintained its 18-game home winning streak, the second-longest in the country.
A solo home run by Alabama’s Kade Snell opened the scoring and gave the Tide the early lead. Snell would later launch a second home run in the sixth.
Junior catcher Brady Neal, who transferred to Alabama in the offseason after two years with the Tigers, smacked a meaningful home run in his return to Baton Rouge. It prompted boos from the home crowd and put the Tide up 2-0 in the third inning.
Richie Bonomolo Jr. also had a home run for Alabama. The Tide scored a run in the top of the ninth after LSU issued three straight walks, but it was too little, too late.
The Tigers will continue the series with games on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m.
