Down 3-1 in the top of the ninth inning, the second-ranked LSU Tigers (12-1) scored three runs to escape Southeastern (9-5) 4-3 on Wednesday night on the Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Tigers’ second baseman/shortstop Steven Milam led the charge with two runs and two hits and scored the first run of the ninth to light the spark for LSU. Junior outfielder Jude Hall led the Green and Gold with two runs.
Junior pitchers Aiden Vosburg and Lance Lauve combined for six strikeouts out of the seven for SLU.
Freshman left hander Kade Anderson tossed 13 of the Tigers’ 20 total strikeouts.
Despite the loss, the Lions have won seven out of their last nine games and held LSU to its second-worst scoring output this season.
“It hurts to come up short, but it was a team effort all the way around. Guys came up with big hits. The pitching was incredible. They kept us in the game the whole time and gave us a chance to win,” Hall said.
Alumni Field had a record-breaking 3,751 fans in attendance, which was apparent throughout the match. Hammond, America was rocking with every batter that stepped up the plate.
The first four innings went scoreless, and fans of both teams were growing restless. At the top of the fifth, Milam scored the first run of the game, and Tiger fans went into a frenzy. It wouldn’t take long for SLU to respond, however.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Hall doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on a fielding error. The Chilliwack, B.C. native let out a ferocious scream once he approached third base. It was the first time all night that Southeastern saw any action.
The crowd of 3,751 started screaming, cheering and stomping their feet as the long-awaited run was at Hall’s fingertips.
Senior outfielder/pitcher Justin Williams grounded out to shortstop, and Hall finally ran home with the night’s first run for the Lions.
The Green and Gold carried their momentum for the next two innings by scoring two more runs, once more from Hall and another from graduate outfielder Christian Garcia.
Once the ninth inning rolled around, LSU showed why they are ranked second in the country. Along with Milam, outfielder Mac Bingham and outfielder Ethan Frey scored in the inning.
SLU had a chance to win the game, but left-handed pitcher Nate Ackenhausen had other plans.
The lefty struck out three straight Lion batters, giving the Tigers their seventh straight victory and spoiling the fans of the Green and Gold.
“It was a good fight. We played our tails off, and I thought they pitched unbelievably. We had a chance to win it at the end, but we made a mistake that hurt us. Good teams make you pay when you make mistakes, and that’s what they did,” Head Coach Bobby Barbier said.
Starting today, March 8, the Green and Gold will return to Alumni Field for a series against North Dakota State. The series will last the entire weekend and conclude on Sunday, March 10.
To watch the series, tune in on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. to watch game one.
As always, visit The Lion’s Roar for more information on Lions baseball.
