The top of the second inning for LSU baseball was not pretty on Tuesday night against McNeese.
Walking the bases loaded, bringing runs in via a hit-by-pitch and another walk, two pitchers looking poor on the mound and four runs gained by the Cowboys didn’t look good for the “powerhouse of college baseball” — and it only went downhill from there.
Pitching struggled for this team of loaded offensive talent.
Marcos Paz started on the mound for LSU on Tuesday night, and he was cruising through the first inning and into the second, but the wheels fell off with two outs in that frame. After he came out of the game, nine pitchers followed him in the contest.
The Tigers’ pitchers walked six batters, hit five batters and allowed seven hits in the 7-6 contest.
“I thought the guys at the end of the game did a good job,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said postgame. “Probably should have reverse-engineered the game, in hindsight, should have gone to Deven [Sheerin] in the second inning to stop the bleeding.”
Sheerin ended up turning the Tigers’ pitching energy a bit in the game when he came in during the eighth inning. He posted two strikeouts in his five batters faced, but it was too late to make as big an impact as his appearance could have.
What was supposed to be a courtesy game for the Tigers turned into a mighty struggle. The bleeding never stopped, and the momentum never found its way back to the LSU dugout.
Even though the momentum never shifted, it doesn’t mean the Tigers didn’t try. LSU put up a fight throughout the game with its bats, and several runs came from big swings.
Senior first baseman Zach Yorke hit his fourth home run of the season in the first inning. Junior right fielder Jake Brown pushed across his 17th RBI of the season in the fifth. Designated hitter John Pearson crushed a home run into the left field bleachers to bring the Tigers within one run in the eighth inning.
It was truly the pitching that gave it away for LSU, and the momentum just couldn’t come back over to the home dugout. For most sports, this answer comes as an excuse, but in a game of streaks like baseball, momentum can make or break a game.
Every rally the Tigers started in the home halves was put to bed because they couldn’t string together enough hits at the right times.
However, McNeese didn’t beat the ball all over the ballpark. The Tigers outhit the Cowboys 8-7.
The difference-maker was the free passes they allowed throughout the contest. McNeese did what every team entering an expected lopsided battle would do: take a mile when you’re given an inch.
The Cowboys capitalized on each free base LSU allowed, which worked in their favor until the very end.
While the trouble began in the second inning, the Tigers continued to get into costly hot water with the free passes. It wasn’t until the fifth inning that an LSU pitcher settled in as expected.
That pitcher was Reagan Ricken, throwing 1.1 innings to settle the bullpen. But it wasn’t until Sheerin that LSU pitching truly dominated like it has so far this season. The bats just couldn’t pick it up enough to come back completely.
Despite it all, LSU fought until the very end. The final out came with senior Seth Dardar flying out on his last strike of the game to left field. The ball went all the way to the warning track.
The Bayou Bengals will try to start over on Friday as they take on Dartmouth. First pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium.
