The Alabama baseball team led LSU 1-0 for eight innings but ended up dropping game one of a three game series on Thursday at the Hoover-Met with a 8-5 score. The Tide falls to 15-13 on the year and 4-6 in SEC play. The Tide came from behind three times from the ninth inning on but the Tigers’ 3-run 16th inning was too much to overcome.
Taylor Guilbeau got the start for the Tide on the mound and pitched 8 innings, giving up 5 hits for 2 runs with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. J.C Wilhite got the loss for the Tide with 2.2 innings of work 2 hits, 3 runs and 5 walks.
Jared Poche’ earned the win for the Tigers, also going 8 innings while only allowing 3 hits for 1 run with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks.
The Tide got on the board first in the bottom half of the first inning off of a two-out home run from Mikey White over the left field wall. With the exception of White’s home run, the first three innings were fairly quiet. The Tigers stranded two base runners through three innings and were retired in order in the third and fourth innings as Guilbeau notched three strikeouts through those frames. Alabama only got two singles in the second and fourth innings from Cody Henry and Casey Hughston following White’s home run.
The Tigers threatened in the top half of the sixth getting two runners on the bags at first and second from infield singles with only one away. A fly out to left and Guilbeau’s fourth strikeout of the game ended the threat.
LSU had a good chance to tie it in the seventh but Casey Hughston made a spectacular leaping grab at the wall on one that looked like it would tie the game or at least give LSU’s Stevenson some extra bases.
Through the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, the lone Tide base runner came on a two out walk from Will Haynie.
LSU came storming back in the top of the ninth to take a 2-1 lead. Alex Bregman led things off for the Tigers with a double. Two runners stood in scoring position after Conner Hale’s single. An RBI single from Kade Scivicque and a sacrifice fly from Andrew Stevenson gave the Tigers the lead heading into the home half of the ninth.
Alabama fought back to tie the game back up at 2 to send it to extras after Georgie Salem’s lead off triple and a sacrifice fly from Mikey White sent him home to score.
Chris Chinea’s two-run home run in the eleventh gave LSU the 4-2 lead. Alabama answered back in the bottom frame with a bases loaded walk and a called balk on Parker Bugg to send it to the 12th, tied at 4.
The Tigers and Tide both added one run in the 13th inning to tie the game at 5. LSU added three in the 16th that would be enough for the win. Hale’s 2 RBI triple and a sacrifice fly Michael Papierski proved to be enough.
Game two is slated to start on Friday at 3 pm CT. SEC Network + will carry the action.