Three is the magic number for LSU baseball.
The story comes in three parts: For the third straight game, LSU scored three in the first inning. The Tigers blew leads in all three games this weekend and have now been swept in three straight SEC series for the first time since the SEC moved to three-game series.
LSU blew three leads in its 13-8 loss to Mississippi State on Sunday.
Deven Sheerin has been LSU’s best reliever all year and was called on to get LSU out of a jam in the sixth after throwing 43 pitches Friday. He gave up a single and a double, and threw a wild pitch and a ball away on what should have been a groundout.
That outing told the story of this series and season.
In all, he let up three runs and the lead without recording an out. This was by far his worst outing of the year, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. After that nightmarish sixth inning, in which LSU gave up four runs and the lead, it was essentially over.
Mississippi State scored 10 of its 13 runs during and after the fifth inning. Eight of those went unanswered.
LSU gave freshman Marcos Paz the start on the mound, and he walked three over his three innings. The first blown lead came from his hand when he allowed a three-run homer to Ace Reese.
Reese had LSU’s number all weekend, recording five hits over the course of the series. But he wasn’t the only one.
Aidan Teel added a solo homer in the eighth off of Mavrick Rizy.
The Bulldogs also hit six doubles during Sunday’s game, to go with getting the leadoff runner on base in seven of eight offensive innings.
Mississippi State matched LSU again in the fifth when they scored two, in part due to Eddie Yamin’s total misjudgement on a ball that bounced off the wall in foul territory. It allowed a runner to score from first, and then Noah Sullivan scored on a couple of groundouts.
Yamin has been playing in left field this weekend. It’s the first time the redshirt junior has been in the outfield since he played 22 games in right field his freshman year at Dayton.
The Tigers hit three home runs on Sunday, with Cade Arrambide starting the party in the first frame with a three-run shot. Steven Milam hit a scorching hot line-drive homer to score two in the third inning. And Omar Serna Jr. added some insurance in the sixth inning with his third homer of the series.
With injuries mounting up, replacements have come in the way of freshmen. They’re some of the only ones giving this team energy.
Serna had two hits, including his home run and two RBI. First baseman Mason Braun had four hits, including his first career triple, which also plated a run. Freshman pitcher Zion Theophilus went 1.1 innings, where he allowed one run.
Even though he’s not a freshman, Santiago Garcia is a newcomer to this LSU team. The junior transfer from Oregon has been the most impactful addition from this offseason’s portal class.
He threw 44 pitches Friday and came out for a successful fourth inning, but walked Reese in the fifth, and he scored on a Noah Sullivan double that chased Garcia from the game.
The Tigers, or what’s left of them, next take the field Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT against Southeastern.
