TEMPE, Ariz. — For the 20th time in school history, the LSU baseball team finished a game tied, as the final game of the three-game series with Arizona State ended at 5-5 in eight innings due to the Tigers’ travel plans.
Before the game, the teams were informed that the final inning would not begin after 4:30 p.m. MT. The game ended after the bottom of the eighth at 4:38 p.m.
LSU (12-2-1) used five pitchers — starter Lane Mestepey, Justin Hill, Bo Pettit, Brad David and Weylin Guidry — on the way to its third tie in the Skip Bertman era. Mestepey pitched 4 2/3, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out three and walking two.
Guidry earned the final two outs of the eighth inning with a bases-loaded strikout and pop out.
Under Bertman, LSU also tied South Carolina, 9-9, in 1993 and Georgia in Athens, 11-11, in 1999.
Todd Linden, Bryan Moore, Ryan Theriot, Wally Pontiff and Ray Wright each had two hits to lead the LSU 11-hit attack.
Arizona State (13-4-1) was led by Casey Myers and Jeremy West who each had two hits and two RBI.
Arizona State took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Myers and groundout by West.
LSU cut into the lead in the top of the third as Theriot singled to leadoff the inning, Aaron Hill walked and each advanced on a double steal. An RBI single by Linden looked to score both and tie the game, however, Hill was thrown out at home by the centerfielder to end the inning.
West doubled to leadoff the Arizona State fourth and then scored on a single by Mike Lopez to give ASU a 3-1 lead.
In the fifth inning, Wright led off with his first home run of the 2001 season to bring the Tigers within one run at 3-2. Theriot then singled and advanced to second on a balk by Bryce Kartler. A two-out, full-count single by Moore scored Theriot from second and tied the game at 3-3.
Arizona State stuck back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. With one out, Chris Duffy singled and advanced to second on a balk by Mestepey, his second of the game. Another single by Steve Garrabrants moved Duffy to third. Duffy then scored when Myers reached on a fielding error by Theriot. A single by West scored Garrabrants from second for the two-run lead.
With the 4:30 p.m. MT time limit approaching, Linden lined a 2-2 pitch over the fence his fourth home run of the season to lead off the top of the eight inning and cut the ASU lead to 5-4. The next batter, Pontiff, doubled off the wall and was pinch run for by Billy McBride. After a strikeout by Johnnie Thibodeaux on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, McBride advanced to third on a balk by Drew Friedberg. A ground out by Matt Heath scored McBride and tied the game at 5-5.
In the bottom of the eighth — what would be the last half inning — Arizona State put runners on second and third with one out after a walk by Pettit and a hit batter by David. Guidry then entered in relief to face Duffy, who struck out swinging for the second out. Guidry loaded the bases by hitting Jeff Phelps before forcing Myers to fly out to left field for the final out.
LSU won games one and two by scores of 12-11 and 15-7, respectively. The Tigers return to action on Tuesday night when they face crosstown rival Southern University at 7 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium. LSU then plays Tulane at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night at the Box.