ATHENS, Ga. — The LSU baseball team lost to Georgia in the Southeastern Conference opener, 8-7, in 11 innings on Friday night in Athens, Ga.
The Tigers (12-5-1, 0-1 SEC) lost for the third straight time and the fifth straight in extra innings dating back to the 2000 season. Georgia improved to 10-2 overall and 1-0 in SEC play.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly with one out in the 11th gave Georgia the victory. LSU’s Tim Nugent received the loss.
In the top of the second inning, LSU got on the board first when Todd Linden singled to left and Aaron Hill perfectly executed a hit-and-run to put runners on the corners for Matt Heath. Heath’s sacrifice fly gave LSU a 1-0 lead.
Georgia tied the game in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Doc Brooks. However, Tiger starter Shane Youman got out of a bases-loaded jam to avoid the big inning.
The Tigers took a 2-1 lead with two outs in the top of the fifth when Georgia’s centerfielder and rightfielder misplayed Wally Pontiff‘s fly ball to right center. The error allowed Theriot to score from first base. A single by Linden put runners on first and third for Bryan Moore who flied out to left field to end the threat.
LSU figured out Georgia starter Rob Moravek in the top of the sixth, as Linden hit a mamouth homer over the right-center field wall for a 3-1 lead. Hill then lined a single to right and Ray Wright reached second base on a dropped ball by Brooks in left field with one out. After David Raymer grounded out to a drawn-in infield, both Hill and Wright scored when Ryan Theriot‘s grounder to the shortstop was thrown in the dirt. LSU led 5-1.
The Bulldogs finally caught up to Youman in the bottom of the sixth with three runs, cutting the lead to 5-4.
After a double play to open the inning, Youman walked Adam Swann, Matt Cavender singled to right, Lee Mitchell singled to left scoring Swann, and Tony Burchett hit a two-RBI triple to right.
Justin Hill entered in relief of Youman to start the seventh and gave up a game-tying homer to Jeff Keppinger, a triple to Brooks and walked Mark Thornhill to get chased from the game. He was lifted in favor of Weylin Guidry.
Guidry allowed a sacrifice fly to Swann to give Georgia a 6-5 lead with two outs in the inning before getting pinch hitter Blake Bodenmiller to line out to second to end the inning.
Wright singled to open the eight inning and send Moravek to the showers. Carswell entered and allowed Wright to steal second before walking Raymer. However, Theriot grounded out to second and the Tigers failed to score.
Guidry stuckout the first two batters in the top of the eighth before getting the third out on a fly ball to center.
Moore hit a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth and was pinch run for by Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux advanced to second on a wild pitch to Linden, forcing Georgia to walk Linden and face Hill, who lined a double to right center to score both runs and take the lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Georgia put a runner on second base with two outs before reliever Brad David earned a strikeout of the only batter he faced. Corcoran then entered to pitch and gave up an RBI-double to Thornhill to tie the game at 7-7.?
LSU and Georgia will play game two of the three-game series on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. CST in Athens, Ga.