No. 1 Tigers hammer four homers, sweep Alabama
LSU produced 10 runs in its last four innings and its relievers limited Alabama to four runs in the same time frame as the Tigers held on for a 13-11 win to sweep the SEC series Sunday afternoon in Alex Box Stadium.
Despite some ninth-inning gaffes by the Tigers that led to Alabama scoring a pair of runs on a two-run homer, LSU (35-8, 15-5 SEC West) recorded a second straight league series sweep for the first time since 2017.
"If you look back at the last two weekends, two sweeps (last weekend at Ole Miss) and kind of done in different fashion," LSU second-year head coach Jay Johnson said. "That's a sign of a good team. Something we take pride in is being able to win any type of game that you're playing and they've done that here lately."
The series finale quickly advanced into a battle of pitching attrition as Johnson and Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon of Alabama kept pushing buttons to stop a steady stream of self-inflicted bleeding.
The Tigers and Tide (30-15, 9-12 SEC West) used five pitchers as each team had 10 hits each. LSU allowed 10 base runners via walks (7) and hitting batters with pitches (3). Alabama allowed 12 bases runners via walks (9) and hitting batters with pitches (3).
After the Crimson Tide grabbed a 7-3 lead through 4½ innings, Alabama pitchers issued eight walks and gave up seven hits the rest of the way including eighth-inning solo homers by LSU shortstop Jordan Thompson and right fielder Paxton Kling that proved to be the margin of victory.
Tigers’ starting pitcher Christian Little stayed in trouble, yet somehow survived 3.1 innings allowing just three runs and two hits. He walked five and struck out five.
LSU first baseman Jared Jones' two-out, two-run homer gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead in the second, which expanded to 3-1 in the third on center fielder Dylan Crews' solo homer.
But by the time Little was replaced with one out in the Alabama fourth by reliever Nate Ackenhausen, the game was tied at 3-3.
The Crimson Tide’s three-run fourth – starting with second baseman Ed Johnson’s RBI double off Little, followed by shortstop Jim Jarvis’ RBI double and right fielder Andrew Pinckney's RBI sacrifice fly (both of Ackenhausen but charged Little) -- edged Alabama ahead at 4-3.
The Crimson Tide expanded their margin to 7-3 in the top of the fifth. Ackenhausen gave up three runs on two hits with Tide first baseman Drew Williamson leading off the inning with a solo homer.
Alabama starting pitcher Jacob McNairy finally ran out of steam when LSU’s first two batters in the bottom of the fifth reached base on a throwing error and a walk respectively.
Tide reliever Hunter Furtado lasted three batters. Crews and third baseman Tommy White lashed consecutive RBI singles and designated hitter Cade Beloso walked to force in another run.
Furtado exited as he was replaced by Hunter Hoopes. He faced six LSU batters before he was able to get out of the inning but not before LSU scored three more runs.
Hoopes walked Thompson to force home the game-tying run, then gave up a Jones RBI sacrifice fly and an RBI single to catcher Alex Milazzo for a 9-7 LSU lead.
Alabama eventually tied the game at 9-9 off LSU reliever Blake Money. The Tide scored a run in the sixth on designated hitter Dominic Tamez’s RBI sacrifice fly and an RBI game-tying double by Jarvis in the top of the seventh.
LSU re-gained the lead in the bottom of the seventh. After Thompson and Jones recorded outs to lead off the inning, the Tigers sent six more batters to the plate.
Right fielder Josh Pearson doubled and scored the go-ahead run on Milazzo’s RBI single. After second baseman Gavin Dugas walked and left fielder Tre’ Morgan was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Alabama reliever Zane Probst walked Crews on a 3-2 pitch to force home another run for an 11-9 LSU edge.
The Tigers added three runs in the eighth. Thompson’s one-out first-pitch solo homer and Kling’s two-out two-run homer boosted LSU’s cushion to 13-9.
It was Kling's first homer since returning from hamstring injury that sidelined him for a month.
"I just went up to him (Kling) in the on deck circle," Johnson said. "I was like `Hey man, if you get your foot down right here, you're gonna get a fastball. If you stay short the way you've been swinging the bat at batting practice, you're gonna get into one pretty good.'
"And boy did he ever. That ball was launched and I'm really excited to have him back as an option."
Alabama left fielder Tommy Seidl hit a two-run homer in the ninth off LSU reliever Riley Cooper.
The Tigers travel to Southeastern Louisiana for a Tuesday night game before traveling to Auburn for an SEC road series starting Friday.