BATON ROUGE — The No. 2-ranked LSU baseball team continued to struggle with defense and timely hitting against in-state opponents, as No. 16-ranked Tulane came into Alex Box Stadium and pounded out 18 hits on its way to a 13-3 victory on Wednesday night.
The Tigers (12-4-1) committed six errors and left 12 runners on base to lose its second-straight game going into its Southeastern Conference opening weekend in Athens, Ga., against No. 20-ranked Georgia (Baseball America). Ron Polk’s Bulldogs (9-2) swept a three-game series with Charleston Southern on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tulane improved to 14-3 on the season.
The Green Wave were led by Michael Aubrey, who hit for the cycle, going 4-for-6 with five RBI including a three-run triple and a two-run homer. Jake Gautreau was 3-for-6 with two runs scored, and Matt Gorff was 3-for-4 with four runs scored.
Tiger starter Roy Corcoran (3-1) received his first loss of the season after pitching only three innings and giving up seven runs (four earned) on six hits, while striking out four and walking two.
Tulane’s Beau Richardson (4-0) remained undefeated as he pitched five strong innings, scattering six hits and allowing three unearned runs. He struck out two and walked three before leaving the game with cramps in his left forearm.
LSU went without an extra-base hit off Tulane’s pitchers. All nine Tiger hits were singles.
Corcoran and the Tigers once again got off to a slow start as Tulane pounded four hits in the top of the first, including a bases-loaded triple by Aubrey to put the Green Wave up 4-0 before the Tigers could come to the plate.
The Green Wave added three unearned runs in the top of the third against Corcoran, as Groff reached on an error by first baseman Bryan Moore. Corcoran hit Jay Heintz and Giarratano hit an RBI single to score Groff before Wyn Spencer walked to load the bases. Jon Kaplan grounded out to Wally Pontiff at third, allowing Heintz to score. Tulane got its third run when Pontiff elected to tag Spencer at third, forgetting that there was no force and allowing Giarratano to score from third before the tag for a 7-0 lead.
After Ray Wright singled and advanced to second on a fielding error, Mike Fontenot singled to drive in Wright and cut the lead to 7-1. Fontenot, who has been nursing a sore wrist after o ff-season surgery, looked to be caught attempting to steal second, but the throw from Aubrey to second went into left field. Fontenot was injured on the play and pinch run for by Victor Brumfield.
Moore walked before a wild pitch put him on second and Brumfield on third with two outs. Todd Linden then hit a sharp RBI single to right to score Brumfield, and Moore scored on a wild pitch. All runs were unearned and the Tigers trailed 7-3.
Tulane added another unearned run off reliever Brad David in the top of the fourth as a catcher’s interferance call on Matt Heath put runners on first and second. After a walk, Aaron Feldman hit a sacrifice fly to center to give Tulane an 8-3 lead.
After LSU squandered a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the fifth, Shirley blasted a solo homer off David to leadoff the sixth. Two more singles by Groff and Aubrey put runners on first and second with no outs, however, David earned the first out of the inning before being lifted in favor of Jason Scobie. Scobie ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Richardson left the game after two pitches in the bottom of the sixth with a severe cramp in his left forearm. He was relieved by Barth Melius. LSU again left the bases loaded in the sixth, as Moore hit a 350-foot fly ball to right center field for the third out.
Aubrey hit a two-run homer to in the top of the eighth off Scobie. Weyin Guidry, who entered the game with one out and runners on first and second, got out of the inning unscathed.
Tulane scored its final runs in the ninth on a infield groundout by pinch hitter James Burgess and an RBI single by Giarratano.