LSU storied history at the Hoover Met adds another dramatic chapter
Less than 12 hours after completing the longest game in SEC tournament history, LSU was able to pick up its second win in dramatic fashion only the field of the Hoover Met could produce, knocking off Auburn 4-3.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, LSU had the middle of the lineup due up. Freshman DH Giovanni DiGiacomo and catcher Saul Garza both drilled singles to lead off the ninth, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Then it was pinch hitter Chris Reid’s turn, the guy who had gone one for his last 30 at the plate and been benched the night before, had his opportunity of redemption. Only it never came.
A wild pitch that couldn’t be located by Auburn catcher Matt Scheffler allowed DiGiacomo to come home. Then former LSU Tiger Rankin Woley, in full panic mode located the ball, through it wide of Scheffler, which allowed pinch runner Drew Bianco to cross homeplate safely.
The most unlikely a scenario allows LSU (35-23, 17-13) to keep trudging along in Hoover, a place symbolic for wild finishes yet keeps on surprising nonetheless.
The big question coming into Thursday afternoons contest was how the team would respond to the six hour, 43 minute albatross loss to Mississippi State that lasted into the early morning hours.
LSU was thin in the bullpen department after using three of its key pieces against the Bulldogs, including Zack Hess, Matthew Beck and Ma’Khail Hilliard, who all lasted four innings. That meant coach Paul Mainieri and company were going to need a long outing from freshman starter Landon Marceaux, who pitched a two hit gem against Auburn on May 17.
It only took Auburn three batters to accumulate the two hits on the freshman Marceaux and later loaded the bases in the first with two outs. Marceaux would avoid any harm by forcing a popout but not before having to deliver 30 first inning pitches.
Marceaux would follow the 30 pitch inning by throwing 33 pitches combined over the next three innings to even the pitch count out, not allowing a run during that time.
Auburn’s big threat came in the seventh inning on a self-inflicted wound made by shortstop Josh Smith who threw a routine put out to first base over Cade Beloso’s head. That was followed by a single in the right field gap that put runners on first and second with no outs.
Marceaux forced Auburn eight hole hitter Edouard Julien to ground into a double play, successfully turned by Smith and Brandt Broussard but an infield single from Kason Howell allowed a run to score, tying the game.
The freshman’s day would end in the seventh when Auburn took a 2-1 lead on a double from leadoff hitter Judd Ward, throwing six shutout innings with five strikeouts.
Smith continued his dominance in first at bats for the SEC tournament by blasting a leadoff double that led to a run off an infield groundout from Zach Watson. Smith has now homered and hit two doubles in his first plate appearance of the three games to this point.
Other than that, the LSU offense struggled to get anything going against Auburn starting pitcher Jack Owen, who struck out five Tiger batters in four innings. Left fielder Daniel Cabrera in particular, became extremely frustrated with his plate appearances, striking out two times and going 0-for-3 on the day, bringing his weekly total to 2-for-16.
Trailing 2-1 in the seventh inning, after a disappointing performance from the defense, with Broussard on second with two outs, Smith came to the plate looking to redeem himself from the seventh inning error. The junior drilled a clutch RBI single to right field to tie the game at two.
Closer Todd Peterson allowed a run in the eighth inning to give Auburn a 3-2 advantage and the Tigers were left with six outs to put together some hits.
LSU will be in wait and see mode as it will face the loser of Mississippi State-Vanderbilt, which has an undetermined start time Thursday night.
