The LSU Tigers fell on Sunday in the rubber game of its Southeastern Conference series against Alabama. With the 4-3 loss to the Crimson Tide, the Tigers dropped the sixth SEC series of the season and 1-8 in Game 3s of SEC series.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Alabama got to LSU’s Samuel Dutton in the bottom of the second inning.
Kade Snell singled up the middle, TJ McCants drew a walk and Mac Guscette singled through the right side to load the bases. William Hamiter would then hit a single to center field to bring home Snell.
Jay Johnson then pulled Dutton and brought in Aiden Moffett but a pass ball allowed another run to cross home plate. Grant then grounded out which brought home another run.
Moffett got into trouble in the third as he gave up a leadoff single to Gage Miller, walked Ian Petrutz then allowed a single to Justin Lebron to load the bases. Moffett was replaced by Justin Loer who came in and allowed a run to score on a flyout by Will Hodo. Loer did manage to get the next two Crimson Tide hitters out to end the inning.
LSU finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth as Josh Pearson led off with a double to right center, and advanced to third on a ground out by Tommy White. After a walk by Jones, LSU’s Ashton Larson reached first on a fielder’s choice which scored Pearson.
After striking out the first two LSU hitters, Alabama’s Ben Hess got into trouble in the top of the seventh. Michael Braswell drew a walk and then Brady Neal singled to right centerfield to put two Tigers on with two outs.
Hess came out of the game for Alton Davis who managed to get pinch hitter Ethan Frey to line out to end the threat.
LSU struck again in the top of the eighth inning.
Jake Brown led off with a single to first base and then Pearson was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with no outs. White then hit a single through the left side to bring home Brown.
A wild pitch allowed White and Josh Pearson to advance to second and third. A ground out by Jones allowed Pearson to score which trimmed the lead to a single run. The Tigers were unable to bring home White as Tyler Fay got a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.
LSU put the tying run on in the top of the ninth as Braswell led off with a single to left field. Braylon Myers came on the mound in relief and got three straight outs to end the game.
BIG NUMBER: 12
Alabama’s pitching staff frustrated LSU’s lineup all game long as the Crimson Tide hurlers struck out 12 Tigers. LSU’s two-hole, three-hole and four-hole hitters combined for seven of those strikeouts.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: FIDEL ULLO
LSU’s Ulloa came in relief and helped keep Alabama’s bats silenced as he gave up no runs on no hits, while striking out in two innings of work.
UP NEXT: LSU (33-20, 10-17 SEC) will wrap up the regular season at home with a three-game series against Ole Miss. The first pitch for the first game will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday. You can listen to all the action live on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette 104.1 Lake Charles.