Controversy surrounded game one of a doubleheader between No. 21 LSU and No. 2 Alabama on Wednesday, resulting in Crimson Tide coach Patrick Murphy being thrown out of the game.A fly out by LSU freshman first baseman Anissa Young to second baseman Whitney Larsen in the bottom of the seventh inning was overruled after Murphy improperly substituted Larsen into the game at second base. Young then re-hit and walked.
Young’s pinch runner, freshman Katie Guillory, went on to score, giving the Tigers the 3-2 victory.After advancing to second on a passed ball and to third base on a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Morgan Russell, Guillory scored when Alabama shortstop Kellie Eubanks bobbled a ground ball hit by LSU junior Jazz Jackson.LSU (16-6, 3-2 SEC) and Alabama (23-3, 3-1 SEC) started the game Wednesday similarly, with a leadoff infield single and a stolen base.But the Crimson Tide capitalized on the single with a two-out RBI double by senior Kelley Montalvo to give Alabama the lead, 1-0.LSU junior pitcher Cody Trahan settled down in the circle after striking out Alabama freshman Amanda Locke with bases loaded to end the first.Trahan allowed only one hit and struck out three batters in the next four innings.The Tigers’ bats came alive in the third inning when sophomore Jessica Mouse led off the inning with a double into the left field gap.Junior Kirsten Shortridge advanced Mouse to third with her second infield single of the game, and freshman Juliana Santos hit an RBI single to left field, tying the game at 1-1.The Tigers continued to threaten in the fourth inning, with Shortridge’s third infield single and walks drawn by junior Jazz Jackson and Mouse. But Alabama sophomore pitcher Kelsi Dunne forced Santos to fly out to left field with bases loaded to end the inning.Freshman Ashley Langoni gave LSU its first lead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fifth when she smashed a Dunne pitch deep over the birm in left field for her fourth home run of the season.But the Tigers failed to break the game open when the team had bases loaded with one out. After Mouse flied out to Eubanks, Shortridge was called out on strikes to end the fifth.The Crimson Tide tied the game at two with an RBI single by relief pitcher junior Charlotte Morgan after senior outfielder Brittany Rogers hit her third single of the game and stole second base for the third time in the game.The Tigers managed eight hits and two runs on Dunne, who entered the game with a 10-0 record and led the SEC with a 0.30 ERA.Morgan (7-3) earned her third loss, and Trahan (6-1) earned her sixth win of the season, allowing six hits and striking out eight.
 
—-Contact Jarred LeBlanc at [email protected]