NEW ORLEANS — Tulane scored all nine of its runs with two outs as the Green Wave claimed the season series with a 9-5 victory on Tuesday night in front of an NCAA season-high crowd of 18,319 at the Louisiana Superdome.
The crowd fell short of the NCAA record of 27,673 at last year’s LSU-Tulane game at the Superdome, but still manages to rank fourth among all-time regular season crowds. The last 10 LSU-Tulane games in New Orleans have drawn crowds of 10,000 or more–two at the Superdome and nine at Zephyr Field in Metairie, the site of Tulane’s 5-4, 11-innning win in the first meeting between the teams this year.
LSU (30-14-1), which saw its five game winning streak snapped, must quickly regroup for Wednesday night’s 6:30 p.m. game against New Orleans (20-24) at Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers, who lead the Southeastern Conference at 15-5-1, travel to Mississippi State for a three-game conference series this weekend in Starkville.
LSU starter Jake Tompkins gave up a leadoff single to Tommy Manzella to star the second inning, but appeared to have things under control after striking out Aaron Feldman and Brian Bogusevic in succession.
But Tompkins couldn’t close the inning, walking Tim Guidry and giving up an infield hit to Brian Bormaster to bring up leadoff hitter Jon Kaplan, a four-year starter who earlier this year delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th to defeat LSU at Zephyr Field, 5-4.
Kaplan came through yet again for the Wave, just missing a grand slam when he lined a Tompkins fastball off the top of the left field wall beyond the reach of LSU left fielder Bruce Sprowl to score all three runners.
A throwing error by Ivan Naccarata on Feldman’s two-out ground ball in the third led to the Green Wave’s fourth run, which came when Bogusevic singled home Aubrey.
LSU (No. 6 Collegiate Baseball, No. 10 Baseball America, No. 12 ESPN/USA Today) got its first two batters on base in the fourth inning on a walk to Sprowl and a J.C. Holt single, but the rally lost some momentum when Aaron Hill grounded into a double play. Blake Gill salvaged the Tigers’ first run, though, when he lined a single into left field to score Sprowl from third.
But just as soon as the Tigers scored, they gave it right back, as Tulane (33-13, 14-7 Conference USA) answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 6-1 on an RBI double by Manzella that scored Aubrey, who singled home Kaplan two batters earlier.
Tompkins, who gave up just one hit in five shutout innings against the Green Wave in the Tigers’ 8-0 win in Baton Rouge on April 15, couldn’t duplicate his earlier success, as he gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings to drop to 1-5 on the season.
LSU was poised to climb back into the game in the top of the fifth when Ryan Patterson launched a two-run home run, which was followed by a solo home run from Jon Zeringue.
The back-to-back home runs were the second such occurrence for LSU this year, with Patterson teaming up with Matt Liuzza for the other occurrence on March 21 at Georgia.
Liuzza followed the second home run with a solid single down the left field line, and it appeared LSU had a rally going. But that rally died when Tulane catcher Bormnaster caught Liuzza off of first base trying to advance on a pitch in the dirt, and Wave reliever Bogusevic, who began the game as the designated hitter, struck out Sprowl and Holt.
Tulane (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 Baseball America) scored their final three runs in the bottom of the fifth, all with the help of LSU miscues. Guidry scored on a wild pitch by Tiger reliever Greg Smith, and then Aubrey lifted a routine fly ball to right field that Zeringue missed, leading to two more runs.
Bogusevic, who started last Saturday at Saint Louis, picked up the win with three innings of relief, giving up two runs on four hits. Wave relief ace Joey Charron pitched two shutout innings with four strikeouts to close the game, giving him 7 1/3 scoreless innings vs. LSU in all three games this season.
Smith finished the game after coming in for Tompkins, going a career long 4 1/3 innings.
LSU (30-14-1) 000 131 000– 5 8 2
Tulane (33-13) 031 230 00x– 9 11 0
Jake Tompkins, Greg Smith (4) and Matt Liuzza; Billy Mohl, Brian Bogusevic (5), Joey Charron (8) and Brian Bormaster.
WP–Bogusevic, 3-1.
LP–Tompkins, 1-5.
2B–LSU: Aaron Hill (19); Tulane: Jon Kaplan (14). Wes Swackhamer (6).
HR–LSU: Ryan Patterson (10), Jon Zeringue (9).
T–2:49.
A–18,319 (paid); 16,243 (actual).