LSU takes game, series vs. Alabama
Published 6:00 pm Monday, April 29, 2019
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — LSU’s Landon Marceaux pitched five strong innings in his first SEC start and closer Devin Fontenot survived a scary ninth inning as the Tigers held on to beat Alabama 5-4 Sunday and claim the SEC series.
The game ended like it began — with the Tide loading the bases with one out in the ninth but getting only one run out of the budding rallies.
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Saul Garza and Daniel Cabrera hit home runs to stake the Tigers to a 5-1 lead.
Bama closed the gap to 5-3 before Fontenot came on to start the ninth inning. He hit two batters and walked another as the Tide loaded the bases with one out.
But Alabama got only one run out of it as Fontenot got a RBI ground out before, after reloading the bases on a walk, striking out the final batter on three pitches.
It was Fontenot’s sixth save of the season and his second in as many days.
The Tigers improved to 29-16 overall and 13-8 in the SEC, while the Crimson Tide dropped to 26-19 overall and 5-16 in league play.
“We did what we had to today; it was a tough ball game, but we earned an important victory,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Marceaux gave us a strong effort — he was aggressive and confident, and he’s going to get even better. Another huge key to the game was the pitching of Matthew Beck in relief; he was in a groove and pitched magnificently in a very tight game.”
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Marceaux (3-2) worked five innings, limiting Alabama to two runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
He also got out of big jam, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first.
He go the first out before walking in a run to tie the game but got a pop fly and a strike out to get out of it with no further damage.
LSU surged ahead with three runs in the top of the third when catcher Garza launched a solo home run, and second baseman Gavin Dugas ripped a two-run double.
The Tigers increased the lead to 5-1 in the fourth when Cabrera blasted a solo homer, his eighth dinger of the season.
Beck was effective on the mound for LSU, working 2.2 innings and allowing one run on one hit while setting the stage for Fontenot to take the mound at the outset of the ninth inning.
LSU outfielder Giovanni DiGiacomo (7) greets LSU outfielder Daniel Cabrera (2) after his home run trot during an LSU at Alabama NCAA college baseball game, Sunday, April 28, 2019, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
