TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Todd Linden’s home run in the top of the ninth gave LSU the lead, then the Tigers won the game on an appeal play as LSU (#3 Collegiate Baseball, #5 Baseball America, Baseball Weekly) edged Alabama, 8-7, on Saturday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The victory gives LSU (34-13, 16-7 SEC) their first series victory in Tuscaloosa since 1994 and sent the Crimson Tide (26-21, 10-13) to their seventh straight conference loss.
The Tigers go for the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. in a game that will be televised by both College Sports Southeast and the Guaranty Sports Network, and can be seen in Baton Rouge on Cable Channel 10 and 18.
Linden led off the ninth with his 16th home run of the season and his second of the game, but then had to hold on for dear life in the bottom of the ninth.
Scott Evans and Grant Redding led off with back-to-back singles, and after Brian Wilson replaced Roy Corcoran on the mound for LSU, Scott McClanahan sacrificed pinch runner Landon Brazell and Redding ahead. Lambert then lifted a fly ball to medium deep right field, and Ray Wright’s throw home was poor, allowing Brazell to apparently score. But Wilson threw to Wally Pontiff at third for the appeal, and third base umpire Mark McGill made no hesitation in calling Brazell out for leaving too soon.
TV replays time matched the time that Evans left the base and the time Wright caught the ball, and frames revealed that Wright caught the ball slightly more than than 1/10 of a second before Evans tagged up.
It was a fitting end to a game that featured a bench clearing incident and a pair of big innings.
The benches cleared shortly after Linden hit his first home run of the game, a three-run shot in the top of the fifth to give LSU its first lead of the day at 3-1. As Linden came home, he apparently made a gesture toward the Alabama dugout, and both benches began to stare down each other, drawing a warning from home plate umpire A.J. Lostaglio.
On the next pitch, Alabama hurler Mark Carter drilled Bryan Moore in the right hip, and the fireworks began. Moore, who was hit in the knee by Vanderbilt’s Dean Bennett in a game last Sunday, charged Carter, and both benches quickly spilled out onto the field. No punches were thrown, but both teams engaged in pushing and shoving. It took 20 minutes to sort things out, and eventually Carter and Moore were ejected, along with Alabama coach Jim Wells.
Under NCAA rules, Carter is suspended for Alabama’s next four games, and Moore will be suspended for Sunday’s contest.
Alabama seemed to get fired up after the rally, scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Peter Stoanrd started the inning by reaching on an error by Pontiff, and back-to-back singles by Evans and Redding loaded the bases. McClanahan’s double down the left field line would tie the game, but Redding was thrown out trying to score from first.
Lambert then singled home McClanahan, and after Jeremy Brown grounded out and Lambert swiped third, Aaron Clark singled home Lambert with the go-ahead run.
Brent Boyd greeted LSU reliever Jason Scobie with an RBI single to score Clark, and Boyd would score when Guidry uncorked a wild pitch that moved the runner to third and Matt Heath’s throw went into left field to bring Boyd home.
That score held until LSU tied the game in the seventh. With one out, Pontiff and Linden laced back-to-back singles, then a double by Sean Barker high off the right-center field fence cut the margin to 7-5. Heath then followed with a line drive two-run homer to tie the game.
Corocran, LSU’s fourth pitcher of the game, worked two-plus innings to improve to 7-3 on the season, with Wilson earning his frist career save.