Photo Credit: Michael Bacilagupi
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
Three swings generally won’t be enough. Two wins probably is.
The Tigers got a pair of homers and a late RBI triple. Nothing more. The two wins on the weekend feels like a success, but the final stanza was deflating.
LSU’s offense failed to find an answer to the for Zane Adams, the SEC’s most embattled starter over the last two weeks. Jared Jones’s solo shot over the wall in right field was it. Adams had allowed 13 earned runs in five innings over the last two weeks. He allowed one in five innings on Saturday.
Alabama staved off a sweep with a 7-4 game three win.
Jay Johnson decided to start Conner Ware for the first time in SEC play. The southpaw answered the bell with two scoreless frames before walking a batter and giving way to the bullpen. Chase Shores, LSU’s Sunday starter the first nine weeks of the season, came on in the third and yielded a three-run homer to Richie Bonomolo that got into the jet stream in left and sailed four rows deep.
Shores gave up four runs on four hits in 2.2 innings. He’s just getting hit too hard, too often.
That was part of the problem, but LSU’s lack off offensive punch was just as significant.
Jake Brown’s pinch-hit opposite field, two run shot in the bottom of the sixth cut Alabama’s lead to 5-3 and gave the Tigers some life.
LSU only mounted three baserunners the rest of the way, and the first was erased by a double play.
Ace Tide reliever Carson Ozmer was excellent. He came on in the eighth and immediately struck out the side. In the ninth, Josh Pearson walked, and Jake Brown smoked an RBI triple. Ozmer then quickly struck out Tanner Reaves, Dalton Beck and got a foul pop up from Daniel Dickinson to end the game.
LSU pitching issued 10 walks. William Schmidt was responsible for three of them in two thirds of an inning. Jacob Mayers walked in a run in the ninth.
With Casan Evans on a strict pitch count and Zac Cowan unavailable, LSU’s staff didn’t quite get the job done.
The series win is a real positive. LSU sits at 12-6 with 12 to play. That’s great position, but the next three weeks–Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas– are going to be very tough.
THE SCORECARD
LSU was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Alabama was 4-for-11 (.364)
LSU was just 7-for-33 (.212) for the game and 2-for-11 (.182) with runners on.
Jake Brown: 2-for-2, HR, 3RBI
Daniel Dickinson: 2-for-5
Zane Adams line: 5IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 3K
Carson Ozmer line: 2IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K
Alabama drew 10 walks. LSU drew 4.
WHAT’S NEXT
LSU puts in unbeaten midweek record on the line Tuesday night when Northwestern State comes to Alex Box Stadium. A showdown with Tennessee follows starting Friday.
