Alabama Baseball Falls in Narrow 6-5 Loss to No. 19 LSU
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Friday night saw a very similar story for Alabama baseball at Sewell-Thomas Stadium as the Crimson Tide fell to the No. 19 LSU Tigers in another one-run loss, 6-5.
The one-run loss signified the 11th one-run loss of the season for Alabama. In total, the Crimson Tide is 6-11 in one-run games this season.
"I tell the kids all the time that you can play pretty well and still lose," Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon said. "I think that's kind of what happened tonight. I thought we did a lot of really good things.
"It was probably one of our best offensive performances this year. I just thought we had a lot of quality at-bats up and down the lineup consistently through the game."
Alabama posted the first run of the evening in the bottom of the first when shortstop Jim Jarvis scored from third after running home on a passed ball. In the bottom of the third, an RBI-double by right fielder Andrew Pinckney put the Crimson Tide up 2-0.
While Alabama starting pitcher Garrett McMillan dominated the first four innings of play, his success came to a grinding halt in the fifth inning when LSU scored five runs, with four of those runs coming with two outs. The runs were bookended by home runs, with Tigers catcher Tyler McManus hitting a leadoff blast and first baseman Tre’ Morgan smacking a two-run home run.
In the bottom of the inning, though, Alabama proved that it wasn’t going to go down without a fight. A trio of RBI-singles by Pinckney, catcher Dominic Tamez and left fielder Tommy Seidl tied the game almost as quickly as LSU had taken the lead in the sixth.
The tie ball game didn’t last long, though. In the top of the sixth, an RBI-single by Tigers center fielder Dylan Crews gave LSU a 6-5 lead. The run would be the last of the game for either side as the Tigers walked off the field with a narrow 6-5 victory.
"We just continue to find ways to lose," Bohannon said. "Tonight, the story of the game to me was we just didn't defend the field well enough. LSU's a great team. That's a team that's gonna win a regional, and your margin for error is slim when you play teams like that.
"We just continue to shoot ourselves in the foot and make too many mistakes."
On the mound, LSU reliever Riley Cooper (4-2) was credited with the win, while closer Paul Gervase (5) picked up the save. Alabama reliever Brock Guffey (2-3) was saddled with the loss.
With the loss, Alabama falls to 25-21 overall and is 9-13 in SEC play. LSU rises to 31-14 on the season and is 13-9 in conference play. Up next, the Crimson Tide and the Tigers will take each other on in Game 2 of the series on Saturday (7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network).
Alabama Stats
LSU Stats
How It Happened:
(updates in ascending order, with most recent at the top)
Final Score: LSU 6, Alabama 5
Bottom 9
- Williamson grounded out to second. Ball game.
- Pinckney drew a full-count walk to put the game-tying run on first with two outs. Williamson up to bat. He is 0-for-4 today.
- Jarvis flied out to center. Two out.
- Rose grounded out to third. One out.
- LSU RHP Paul Gervase comes in to close the game for the Tigers. Final line for Hasty: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 6 TP/3 ST.
Top 9
- Thompson grounded out to third. Side retired.
- Morgan struck out swinging. Two away with runners on first and second.
- Doughty popped it up behind home plate, where Tamez made the catch. One out.
- Berry singled to left. Runners on first and second, nobody out.
- Crews drew a full-count, leadoff walk.
Bottom 8
- Eblin struck out swinging at a ball in the dirt, Denton was thrown out at second (caught stealing). Inning over.
- LSU will head to the bullpen once again, replacing Reyzelman with Jacob Hasty. Final line for Hasty: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 30 TP/19 ST.
- Denton drew a full-count walk. Runner on first, one out for Eblin.
- Seidl grounded out to short. One out.
Top 8
- Pearson grounded right back to Guffey, who is the beginning of a 1-6-3 double play. Side retired.
INLINE
- Jarvis and Eblin collided trying to get a ground ball hit by Stevenson. Nobody appears to be injured, but Stevenson is safe at first.
- McManus flied out to right. One out.
Bottom 7
- Hamiter was struck out looking as well. Three away and we'll head to the top of the eighth.
- Tamez struck out swinging. Two out.
- Williamson struck out looking. One out. Williamson didn't like the call, giving home plate umpire Clint Lawson a quick reminder on his way back to the dugout. The ball looked to be low, but the called strike three stands regardless.
Top 7
- Thompson flied out to right and was quickly followed by a strikeout of Jobert to end the inning.
- Morgan hit a one-out single to put a runner on first for the Tigers.
Bottom 6
- Pinckney struck out looking. Inning over.
- Jarvis stole second base.
- New pitcher for LSU in Eric Reyzelman. Final line for Cooper: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 23 TP/17 ST.
- Jarvis singled down the left field line. Runner on first with two out.
- Rose flied out to the catcher in foul territory. Two out.
- Eblin grounded out to short. One out.
Top 6
- A groundout to third by Berry ends the LSU side of the sixth.
- Crews singled to right. Pearson advanced to third, Stevenson just barely beat out Pinckney's throw to the plate to regain the lead for LSU. 5-4 Tigers. Runners at the corners with two out.
- Pearson was hit by Guffey's first pitch of the at-bat. Runners on first and second with two out.
- Stevenson drew a full-count walk. Runner on first for the Tigers with two out.
- McManus grounded out to short. Two down.
- Jobert grounded out to second. One out.
- LHP Brock Guffey is in the game to replace McMillan on the mound. Final line for G-Mac: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 101 TP/62 ST.
Bottom 5
- Denton grounded out to first, but the Crimson Tide has tied the game.
- Seidl singles to right to drive in the game-tying run in Pinckney from third. 5-5.
INLINE
- Hamiter reached first on a fielder's choice, Tamez out at second. Pinckney advanced to third. Two out.
- Tamez singled to left. Pinckney advanced to second, Jarvis scored. 5-4 LSU with one out and runners on first and second. Hamiter steps up to the plate.
- Williamson flied out to left. One out.
- LHP Riley Cooper replaces Hilliard on the mound for the Tigers. Final line for Hilliard: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 76 TP.
- Pinckney singled off of the pitcher, with the ball bouncing past the second baseman. Rose scored from third, Jarvis advanced to second. 5-3 LSU with runners on first and second, nobody out for Williamson.
- Back-to-back singles by Rose and Jarvis puts runners on first and second with nobody out. Pinckney heads to the batter's box.
Top 5
- The disastrous inning for Alabama is over as Thompson flied out to right.
- Morgan hit a two-run home run into the Right Field Ragers. 5-2 LSU.
- Doughty doubled to center, and a diving attempt by Pinckney fell short and gave Berry enough time to score all the way from first. LSU takes a 3-2 lead.
- Berry singled to right, driving Crews home. 2-2 tie with two out and a runner on first.
- Crews took a huge lead at first, and Tamez attempted to catch him in the act. However, the throw from Tamez sailed over Williamson for a failed pickoff attempt. Crews advanced all the way to third.
- Crews drew a full-count walk. Runner on first, two outs.
- Pearson flied out to center. Two away.
- Stevenson struck out swinging.
- McManus hit a leadoff home run into the Crimson Tide bullpen to start off the fifth. 2-1 Alabama.
Bottom 4
- Nothing doing for Alabama in the fourth.
Top 4
- Jobert grounded out into a double play. Side retired, LSU leaves a runner stranded on third.
- Thompson singled up the middle, Morgan advanced to second.
- Morgan singled to second.
- Doughty grounded out to third.
Bottom 3
- Tamez flied out to end the third.
- Williamson flied out to left. Two out.
- Pinckney doubled to left, Rose scored from second. 2-0 Alabama.
- Jarvis struck out swinging. One out.
- A leadoff double by Rose puts a runner in scoring position to start the Alabama side of the third.
Top 3
- McMillan surrenders a double, but strikes out two to keep LSU scoreless. McMillan is up to five strikeouts as we head to the bottom of the third.
Bottom 2
- Denton grounded out into a double play, followed by a groundout by Eblin. Inning over, Hamiter left stranded on third.
- Seidl singled to right, Hamiter advanced to second. Still nobody out.
- Hamiter singled up the middle. Runner on first, nobody out.
Top 2
- A 1-2-3 inning for McMillan retires the LSU side.
Bottom 1
- Jarvis scored on a past ball. 1-0 Alabama.
- Williamson flied out to right. Jarvis advanced to third. Two out.
- Jarvis singled to left, then advanced to second off a wild pitch during Pinckney's at-bat.
Top 1
- Nothing doing for the Tigers in the first.
