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Rebel home runs, Tiger bats fail LSU as Ole Miss evens series with 5-1 win

The Force was on the Rebel side Saturday night as Ole Miss was able to even its weekend SEC series at LSU with a 5-1 victory on Star Wars Night in Alex Box Stadium.

The Rebels had no trouble attacking LSU starting pitcher Eric Walker for four runs in four innings, including a second-inning leadoff solo homer by left fielder Thomas Dillard and a fourth-inning three-run homer first baseman Kevin Graham

The loss dropped LSU to 30-17 overall and in a third-place tie in the SEC Western Division with Ole Miss (31-17, 14-9 SEC). The Tigers and Rebels play the series-deciding game Sunday afrernoon at 2:30.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri was hoping for a steady pitching performance by Walker, but didn't get one.

“This is the SEC and all teams are evenly matched,” Mainieri said. “It really just came down to a few pitches and a few plays. They hit a three-run homer on an 0-2 pitch where we just missed our spot and they scored a run the fielding error. The difference between winning and losing in this league is so small and tonight Ole Miss did it and sets the stage for a big game tomorrow.”

Maineiri felt the biggest difference for Walker was he just didn’t have his command on point, something that is rarely said about the sophomore. Walker agreed with that assessment, saying he couldn’t locate his change-up while also having trouble with his fastball velocity as the third and fourth innings waned on.

On Graham's three-run homer that Ole Miss a 4-0 lead, Walker said the pitch was supposed to be fastball high, But the ball went low and away, catching too much plate, allowing Graham to get a good swing on it.

“To be honest, this week, the work and preparation I did had me feeling good,” Walker said. “I think the first inning was good and on track for a good outing but I just made too many mistakes. You have to be consistent and making pitches and this week I didn’t make good pitches.”

After producing eight runs on 11 hits in LSU's 8-3 series-opening win Friday night, the LSU offense couldn’t come close Saturday to matproduction against Ole Miss starter Doug Nikhazy on Saturday. Nikhazy retired the first seven LSU batters before third baseman Chris Reid ripped a single to right field with one out in the third.

The most productive inning occurred in the fourth. LSU was able to load the bases with walks to right fielder Antoine Duplantis and designated hitter Drew Bianco with a single by shortstop Josh Smith sprinkled in between. With two outs, freshman first baseman Cade Beloso came to the plate but couldn’t muster anything more than a soft popout to end the threat.

Trailing 5-0 in the fifth inning, the Tigers were able to scrape together one run with a left-field wall double by left fielder Zach Watson double off the left field wall, followed by an RBI single from Duplantis.

The saving grace for LSU came from the bullpen with Tigers' relievers Riggs Threadgill, Trent Vietmeier and Matthew Beck. That trio combined to allow just one run on three hits in the last five innings.

“I thought the guys coming out of the bullpen did a really good job,” Mainieri said. “They kept us in the game, we hit a couple balls hard in the beginning and the end of the game but we just didn’t have much to show for them.”

Reid seemed the to be the only Tigers' hitter seeing Ole Miss lefty starter Doug Nikhazy’s fastball. He collected two hits, including a one-out double in the seventh that forced Rebel s' coach Mike Bianco to pull the freshman.

LSU had opportunities late but leaving seven runners on base was ultimately what sunk the Tiger offense in.

Reid said it’s taken a while to find his timing at the plate since he returned from a hamstring injury. He felt like that it progressed rapidly in practice, leading to more consistent hitting.

“We put a few good hits on the ball that didn’t fall,” Reid said. “I was seeing the ball well tonight. I felt really good at the plate, really comfortable and just seeing the pitches very well.”


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