While most of the country was sleeping, LSU and Mississippi State played into the wee hours of the morning on Thursday in the longest SEC Tournament game of all-time that saw LSU come up short after 17 innings by the score of 6-5.
How It Happened:
Mississippi State wasted no time getting out in front with an RBI double from Tanner Allen. Later in the inning, Dustin Skelton made it 2-0 with a sac fly out to right field.
The Bulldogs kept on rolling with an RBI single from Jordan Westburg in the second and a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the third to give them a sizable 4-0 lead.
LSU fought back though in the fifth inning with a bases-loaded walk getting them on the board and a sac fly from Cade Beloso making it a 4-2 ballgame. Giovanni DiGiacomo tied things up in the eighth with a two-run jack to right field.
The score would remain knotted at four until about three hours later when DiGiacomo connected on a sac fly to left field to score Brandt Broussard in the 16th inning. With two outs in the bottom frame, things looked great for LSU to advance in the winner’s bracket after a pretty routine groundball to Broussard. However, he wasn’t able to secure the baseball and that resulted in a run coming across home plate.
The Bulldogs put the game to a merciful end in the bottom of the 17th with an RBI single from Gunner Halter.
Big Number: 17
17 innings. Need I say more?
Player of the Game: Giovanni DiGiacomo
DiGiacomo only had two hits, but they were undoubtedly two of the most impactful hits on the evening and he definitely deserves it.
Next Up: Thursday vs Auburn; First Pitch Set for 1 pm
-Clint Domingue