LSU Baseball
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
LSU lives to play another day.
That life comes courtesy of great work from veteran pitchers Grant Fontenot, Gavin Guidry and Deven Sheerin. After William Schmidt was scratched less than half an hour to gametime, those three righties took the baseball and held Oklahoma to two runs in a 6-2 win the Tigers had to have.
And one of the runs was a gift.
In a tie game in the fourth, Brendan Brock reached on a rare error by Steven Milam. He stole second on a bang-bang play. From second, he scored when Dayton Tockey struck out. The ball trickled away from LSU catcher Cade Arrambide who made an ill-advised, late throw to first where he had no shot to retire Tockey. The throw got away as Brock rounded third and came home to give the Sooners a 2-1 lead.
Oklahoma never scratched again.
The Sooners loaded the bases on Guidry in the sixth, but Sheerin entered and got a first pitch fly out. Sheerin got a swinging strikeout in the seventh with a runner in scoring position in a 4-2 game.
Milam more than atoned for his error with a line shot homer over the wall in right that swelled a 4-2 Tiger lead to 6-2.
LSU’s early offense came in large part due to Derek Curiel. His third inning RBI single to the opposite field scored Omar Serna, who was off with the pitch, from first. Curiel’s double in the fifth scored another and moved Serna to third. Both would score on Milam’s ground ball to third that was thrown wide of home and off the screen. Serna’s hand was injured on the play, and he did not return. Television showed him back in the dugout with his hand heavily bandaged.
The good news for LSU is that the season lives. The bad news is that Wednesday night awaits without Guidry, Fontenot and Sheerin. And probably Serna.
There are plenty of arms down there. Zac Cowan and Casan Evans are chief among them. But after the starting pitcher was scratched, this was about the only option. LSU responded with a win.
On to Auburn.
THE SCORECARD
Gavin Guidry: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 59 pitches, 36 strikes
Deven Sheerin: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 47 pitches, 34 strikes
LSU pitching: 13 strikeouts and 3 walks
Derek Curiel: 3-for-6, 2 2B, RBI, R
Steven Milam: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, He has homered in four straight games.
LSU got 6-of-9 leadoff men on. It only scored once.
LSU with RISP: 1-for-12
Both teams with the bases loaded: 0-for-2
WHAT’S NEXT
LSU and Auburn are scheduled for 8:00 on Wednesday night. Being the fourth game of the day, that start time is unlikely.
Auburn will go with ace Jake Marciano who has had a sensational season. It’s likely Marciano is on a limited pitch count with Auburn’s top eight status in good shape, but he’ll get the ball after over 100 pitches against Georgia last Thursday.
LSU is likely to go with either Evans or Cowan.
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