By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Two weeks from today when defending national champion LSU likely misses getting an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2011 – barring a miracle comeback in its last regular season SEC series and in the conference tourney – the Tigers have no room for argument.
Now 33-20 overall and 10-17 in league play, LSU third-year head coach Jay Johnson will wistfully look back and pinpoint three SEC losses it choked away in the late innings including two with the Tigers needing one out to secure the victory.
Alabama’s 4-3 victory over LSU here Sunday won the series for the Crimson Tide (32-19, 12-15). The Tigers were dominated by a Bama Game 3 starting pitcher who entered the day with the fourth-worst earned run average on the Tide’s staff.
But knowing a Game 3 SEC series loss was likely for LSU – the Tigers are now 1-8 in such games this season because it has no reliable series finale starting pitcher– Johnson’s crew got behind the 8-ball in this series and a chance at an NCAA invite when it lost 8-7 in Friday’s opener.
The Tigers blew a 7-3 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning. Alabama scored just 15 runs in the series, but 5 came in the last two innings of Game 1.
The Tide scored 3 runs on 3 hits – all on 2-strike pitches – in the eighth inning. The first two hits, including a 2-run homer by Alabama’s TJ McCants on a 0-2 pitch, came off LSU reliever Christian Little.
Griffin Herring, LSU’s best reliever in SEC play, entered the game and struck out two straight batters before giving up an RBI single that cut LSU’s lead to 7-6.
Herring settled, retiring the next three batters including the first two in the ninth on strikeouts. Then, the wheels came off against the Tide’s 4-5 and 6-hole hitters.
Herring walked Kade Snell on a 3-2 pitch, McCants walked on four straight balls and then hit Mac Guscette with his first pitch.
With available closers in the bullpen such as Gavin Guidry, Johnson stuck with Herring as Alabama’s William Hamiter stepped into the batter’s box.
Hamiter hit a 2-2 pitch nubber in front of the plate. LSU catcher Alex Milazzo, barehanded the ball and fired a throw that pulled Tigers’ first baseman Jared Jones into the path of Hamiter as he crossed first base.
Jones dropped the ball and Cade and McCants scored for the walk-off win.
Johnson asked for a replay review citing runner interference. But it was obvious Hamiter was clearly in the base path and Milazzo’s throw pulled Jones into Hamiter’s right of way.
“I don’t even know if they looked at it with how quick the review was,” Johnson said. “Pretty important play to have less than a 15-second review on.”
LSU got its best pitching of the series in its 6-3 Game 2 win.
Tigers’ starter and former Alabama staff ace Luke Holman held the Crimson Tide to 2 runs on 4 hits in 5.2 innings with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts. Relievers Nate Ackenhausen and Gavin Guidry combined to allow 1 run on 2 hits with 2 walks and two strikeouts in the final 3.1 innings, allowing. Guidry got the save after working 2 scoreless innings with no hits, 1 walk and 1 strikeout.
Knowing its Game 3 pitching lineup would feature stringing together several bottom-ring relievers, LSU needed to get off to a good start.
It didn’t happen. Alabama took a 4-0 lead after three innings, scoring 3 runs off LSU starter Sam Dutton in the second inning and another run in the third off Aiden Moffett.
LSU’s last four relievers – Justin Loer, Fidel Uklloa, DJ Primeaux and Little – shut out Alabama on 2 hits in the final 4 innings.
But the Tigers’ bats were chilled by Alabama junior starter Ben Hess, who entered the day with a 6.89 ERA. Hess tied a career-high 10 strikeouts, holding LSU to a run and three hits in a career-best 6.2 innings.
LSU scored 2 runs in the eighth but failed to score the tying run after having Tommy White on third base with just one out.
The Tigers, who haven’t swept any opponent this season, now need a sweep of Ole Miss (27-24, 11-16) in the final regular season SEC series starting Thursday in Alex Box Stadium.
Since 1999, 10 of 26 (38 percent) of SEC teams that finished league play with 13 wins earned an NCAA tourney at-large bid. Just 3 of 17 teams (18 percent) that finished with 12 conference wins got NCAA postseason invites.
The Rebels are coming off a home series victory over No. 3 Texas A&M. Ole Miss has improved its RPI from No. 28 to No. 25 while LSU didn’t move off No. 35 after losing to Alabama, which edged from No. 12 to 11 in RPI.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com