NASHVILLE — The LSU Tigers opened up Southeastern Conference play with a series-opening loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Vanderbilt got to LSU’s Casan Evans early and often, but the defending national champions rallied in the late innings to hold a two-run lead heading to the ninth. The Commodores, though, pulled out the 13-12 walk-off win at Hawkins Field on Friday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LSU wasted little time getting a run across as the Tigers scored in the first inning. Steven Milam led off with a single, and Jake Brown hit a double down the right field line to put runners on third and second with no outs.
Derek Curiel hit a deep fly ball down the left field line to bring home Milam. Zach Yorke drew a walk, and Brown advanced to third on a passed ball. The Tigers, though, were unable to bring them home as Connor Fennell got Cade Arrambide and Brayden Simpson to strike out to end the inning.
Vanderbilt took advantage of Evans struggling to find the strike zone. The LSU ace walked three of the first four batters he faced, and Mike Mancini would hit a two-out single into right-center that brought home two runs.
LSU got on the board in the second and did so with two outs. Chris Stanfield and Milam got on with back-to-back singles to right field, and then Brown blasted a three-run home run.
Vandy pushed a run across in the bottom frame as Evans again struggled with finding the zone. He gave up a leadoff single to Korbin Reynolds and then walked Mack Whitcomb. Two hitters later, Brodie Johnston singled to left field to bring home a run.
In the third, Evans gave up a one-out single to Mancini and then hit Ryker Waite. After a fielder’s choice by Reynolds, Evans would walk Mack Whitcomb to plate one run and then give up a deep fly ball, which allowed another to score.
After giving up a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth, Evans would be pulled for Cooper Williams. He would come in and then walk the next three batters he faced. He was pulled for Jaden Noot, who promptly walked in a run.
Noot did get Reynolds to strike out and Whitcomb to ground out, but that latter out still managed to plate a run. Noot then walked the next batter and then gave up a bloop single to Johnston, who brought home two more runs.
LSU got a run across in the fifth inning.
Milam led off with a single, and Curiel drew a one-out walk to put two on with one out. After a Yorke flyout, Arrambide hit a single up the middle to load the bases. Seth Dardar came in to pinch hit for Simpson and hit the ball deep into the gap in left-centerfield.
That scored two runs, and after a review, a third was ruled to have slid into home safely.
After neither team managed to score in the sixth and seventh innings, LSU got to work in the eighth.
Stanfield led things off with a walk and then advanced to second on a passed ball. After Milam struck out, Jake Brown got on with a bunt single. Curiel then doubled to centerfield, which scored two Tigers.
Yorke drew a walk, and then Arrambide was hit by a pitch by new Vandy pitcher Tristan Bristow, which loaded the bases with one out. A wild pitch allowed Curiel to score, Yorke scored on a passed ball, and Arrambide scored on a wild pitch by Bristow.
Jay Johnson then called former Barbe High star Gavin Guidry out of the pen to pitch in the eighth. After getting Mancini to fly out, Guidry struck out the next two hitters.
In the bottom of the ninth, Guidry gave up back-to-back singles, and then those two runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch.
A deep sac fly scored one run, and the tying run was at third. Guidry would get the next batter to strike out looking, but Guidry left a pitch over the plate, and Logan Johnstone lifted it over the centerfield wall for the game-winning home run.
BIG NUMBER: 5
The number five was integral to LSU starting pitcher Casan Evans’ performance on Friday night. In only three innings of work, the Tigers ace gave up six runs on five hits, while walking five batters and striking out five more. He also hit one batter.
BIG NUMBER II: 24
A total of 24 hitters were either walked or hit by pitches in Friday’s SEC opener, with LSU hitters being walked 10 times and two more hit by pitches. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, had their hitters draw 11 walks and had one more get hit by a pitch.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME: JAKE BROWN & STEVEN MILAM
The Tigers’ top two hitters in the lineup stepped up in a big way in the comeback victory, as both recorded three hits each. Milam also scored three runs, and Brown had three RBI.
UP NEXT: LSU (14-5, 1-0) will take on Vanderbilt in the second game of the series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m., and you can listen to it live on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.