Friday’s Game: LSU 11, Alabama 6

Saturday’s Game: 6 p.m. / ESPN2

 LSU lost the home run derby, but won the war Thursday night.

The No. 9-ranked Tigers scored 10 unanswered runs in their final three at-bats to overcome a 4-run deficit and beat Alabama 11-6 in the opening game of the Southeastern Conference series.

“Crazy game. The ball was flying out of here tonight,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “Thankfully for us, we got a chance to catch up.”

LSU improved to 33-6, 11-5 SEC while Alabama fell to 30-9, 8-8.

It didn’t look good for LSU, however, heading into the bottom of the sixth trailing 5-1, thanks to four Crimson Tide home runs.

But the Tigers pulled within one run on pinch-hitter Ashton Larson’s 3-run homer.

“It was the most pivotal at-bat of the game,” Johnson said.

There were more to come.

In the seventh inning Steven Milam’s 3-run bomb deep into the rightfield bleachers gave the Tigers their first lead, 7-5.

“He’s had so many big hits,” Johnson said of Milam. “But it’s like there’s a little more in the tank as far as being an elite player offensively. That at-bat was huge.”

The Tigers got another run in the inning when Jake Brown singled and later scored all the way from first on a throwing error for an 8-5 lead.

LSU got three in the eighth on Ethan Frey’s 2-run homer, and got another when Brown put down a sacrifice bunt that scored Jared Jones from third.

“Obviously, we had some adversity in tonight’s game, but we stayed with it, and it ended up being a great night,” Johnson said. “Eight runs on those three home runs.”

Friday’s 6 p.m. game, originally scheduled to be streamed on SECN+, will instead be televised on ESPN2.

It was a strange night for LSU starter Kade Anderson.

He struck out 10 in 5 2/3 innings, but four of the six hits he allowed left the yard for home runs, including back-to-back jacks in the top of the sixth by Kadse Snell and Richie Bonomolo that put the Tide up 5-1.

Snell also had a home run in the first inning and Brady Neal, a former LSU player, hit one in the third.

LSU’s Jacob Mayers got the final out of the top of the sixth, but after closing the gap in the bottom of the inning, the Tigers brought in relief ace Casan Evans.

Evans (2-0) threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings, but after getting the first out of the ninth with an 11-5 lead, Johnson pulled him with the idea he might then be available for Saturday’s final game.

Conner Benge, however, recorded  just one out while hitting the first batter he faced and walking three more to force in a run.

The Tigers’ other bullpen star, Zac Cowan, had to come in for the final out. He got his fifth save on just three pitches, however, and could pitch at any time during the weekend.

Derek Curiel was 3-for-5 for the Tigers, while Frey was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored along with his two RBIs.

Brown scored twice with his 1-for-3 night.

“Obviously, we had some adversity in tonight’s game, but we stayed with it, and it ended up being a great night,” Johnson said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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