LSU Baseball
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
The LSU team is deeply flawed, but it fights.
For a third straight Sunday, LSU erased a massive deficit. This time the Tigers couldn’t quite get over the hump. Ole Miss nudged a run across in the seventh to win 8-7 and sweep the series in Oxford.
After being no-hit for six innings by Rebel starter Taylor Rabe, the Tigers struck for seven in the seventh to knot the score.
Derek Curiel, Cade Arrambide and Jake Brown hit back-to-back-to-back homers to get things rolling, and the rest of the lineup kept it moving. Curiel chopped a single over the first baseman’s head to plate a run later in the inning, and Brayden Simpson’s two out, two strike line drive single to left drew LSU within one. A wild pitch sent the tying run home.
All in all, LSU’s seven spot came via eight hits. They were the only hits LSU notched in the ballgame.
Unfortunately for LSU, the lead didn’t last long. Mason Braun and Simpson couldn’t corral a ground ball to the right side that resulted the leadoff hitter moving to second on interference by pitcher Marcos Paz. A bunt and a pretty two-strike single by Brayden Randle to left off Deven Sheerin gave the Rebels the 8-7 lead. The pitch was at Randle’s shoulders and off the plate away.
Ole Miss would load the bases later in the frame with slugger Tristan Bissetta striding to the plate, but Sheerin induced a harmless ground ball to erase the threat.
The Rebels again loaded the bases in the eighth, but the third out was recorded on a wild pitch that Omar Serna nabbed and flipped home to a diving Sheerin who applied the tag on Will Furniss just in time.
Grant Fontenot started the game for LSU and lasted five hitters. Four of them reached including a pair of RBI singles. LSU desperately misses Cooper Moore in the rotation. His replacements have lasted a total of 4.1 innings in three weeks.
Ole Miss’s four-spot in the fourth looked like the knockout punch. Owen Paino rode the wind out for a solo homer, and Bissetta unloaded on a two-run homer that sailed over the wall in right center with room to spare.
Furniss spanked an RBI single through the right side to make it 7-0, and the deficit was too much to overcome.
The Tigers needed a game in Oxford, and they couldn’t get one. LSU makes the turn in league play at 6-9 with a very poor RPI. It’s a massively uphill battle back into the mix, but plenty of opportunities for good wins are there.
Of course, those don’t come cheap.
THE SCORECARD
Ole Miss outhit LSU 14-8.
LSU made two errors. Ole Miss did not make one.
Ole Miss left 11 runners on to LSU’s three.
Gavin Guidry: 3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Derek Curiel: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
LSU only walked twice. Tiger pitching walked four and hit two more.
WHAT’S NEXT
LSU returns home Tuesday as Northwestern State visits Alex Box Stadium. The Demons dealt LSU a run-run beating last season in the midweek. Entering Sunday’s series finale with Houston Christian, Northwestern State was 23-12 on the season.
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