Losing a road series to a Top 10 LSU team didn't come as much of a surprise for Alabama baseball, but it's what made losing last weekend's home series to unranked Mississippi State all the more damaging. Because losing the series in Baton Rouge was a bit of a given. That didn't make it any less frustrating, however, because of how it happened. The Crimson Tide had a real shot in this series, but couldn't pitch well enough and couldn't get hits when it mattered on Friday.
In Thursday's series opener, the Crimson Tide broke out to a 5-1 lead. Kade Snell hit a pair of home runs, and Richie Bonomolo Jr. added one of his own. Alabama chose to start Tyler Fay, a typical mid-week/bullpen arm. Fay gave Alabama a solid three innings, but things fell apart when the game got to the rest of the pen.
Austin Morris, JT Blackwood, and Connor Ball all got lit up as the Tigers rallied for an 11-6 win.
Rob Vaughn put his most reliable starter on the bump for Friday's matchup with Riley Quick. Unfortunately, Quick couldn't get through four innings and surrendered eight hits and four earned runs. Alabama rallied late and cut LSU's lead to just 4-3, but couldn't get over the hump to officially lose the series.
On Saturday, Alabama was able to avoid the sweep. Normal Friday starter Zane Adams finally rounded back into form, throwing five innings and allowing just four hits and a single run. Alabama's offense was keyed by a three-run home run by Bonomolo Jr. in the third inning.
Vaughn turned to Carson Ozmer to get six outs to shut it down and he delivered. Ozmer struck out five and allowed a single earned run as the Crimson Tide held on to a 7-4 win.
Alabama now sits at 30-10 overall and 9-9 in SEC play. They've lost three straight series to Auburn, Mississippi State, and now LSU. Pitching is a huge concern for this team, and unfortunately, a once potent offense has fallen asleep in the batter's box at inopportune moments.
Coming up, Alabama faces Samford in Birmingham as they look to remain unbeaten in mid-week action. The Crimson Tide will have a "get-right" series next weekend as Missouri comes to town. The Tigers are the worst team in the SEC by a wide margin. They are 0-18 in league play this season, and Alabama needs to ensure Missouri leaves Tuscaloosa 0-21.