METAIRIE, La. — The third-ranked LSU baseball team rallied for the second time in as many games, using a two-run go-ahead single by third baseman Blake Gill in the eighth and an RBI single by first baseman Jordan Mayer in the ninth, to win its seventh straight game, 4-2, over Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday night at Zephyr Field.
For the Tigers (18-4), it was their ninth come-from-behind victory of the season. The Lions (9-14) dropped their eighth consecutive contest against LSU.
The Tigers open their Southeastern Conference home slate this weekend versus Auburn. Game times are 6:30 p.m. (Friday), 2 p.m. (Saturday) and 1 p.m. (Sunday). All three games will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Network and can be heard on www.LSUsports.net, the official website for LSU Athletics.
Senior Jordan Faircloth (1-0) earned his first win of the season in relief of Justin Meier. Meier battled SLU starter Bernard Robert in an impressive pitcher’s duel through the first seven innings.
Meier worked a season-high 6.1 innings, scattering six hits and allowing two runs with one walk and two strikeouts. Robert was equally effective going seven innings, allowing one run on four hits and firing an economical 80 pitches.
Clay Harris and Nick Stavinoha collected two hits on the night for their 10th and 11th multi-hit games of the season, respectively.
The Tigers were presented with their first scoring opportunity in the third when Quinn Stewart lined a one-out double over the third base bag and into the left field corner. Stewart, who extended his hitting streak to seven games, was left stranded as neither Michael Hollander nor Gill could drive him in.
LSU trailed for the third time in as many games as the Lions broke the scoreless tie in the fourth with three singles. Steve Clevenger’s two-out, solid line drive to centerfield brought in Ryan Spencer, who delivered a single and a stolen base off of Meier. The damage could have been worse but two brilliant defensive stops by Clay and Will Harris retired the side.
Robert cruised through the middle innings, setting the Tigers down in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth. At one point, the right-hander had retired 11 straight batters between the third and sixth innings.
Then in the seventh, the streak came to an end when Ryan Patterson continued his power-hitting assault on opposing pitchers. Patterson drilled a solo shot off of the left field fair pole for his eighth homer in the past six games to knot the score at one apiece.
Hebert looked to have been rattled, surrendering a single to Clay Harris after Patterson’s dinger. But he settled down, striking out Stavinoha, Matt Liuzza and Dustin Weaver.
In the seventh, Meier yielded to Jordan Faircloth with one out and the go-ahead run on first.
Faircloth, making his first appearance since March 12, immediately surrendered a hit batsman, moving the tying run into scoring position. Randy Roth followed and gave the Lions a 2-1 advantage, roping a single through the middle.
Robert made his exit to start the eighth, giving way to reliever Risley St. Germain, who allowed the first two hitters to reach on a walk and hit batsman. Hollander’s critical sacrifice bunt moved the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position with one out and the heart of the LSU order coming up.
Gill, who was previously 1-for-11 against lefties on the season, then delivered the clutch hit, slapping a perfectly placed single into left field to give LSU the lead for good at 3-2.
“We really haven’t faced that many lefties on the season,” said Gill. “I knew we had two runners in scoring position, so I just tried to hit something on the ground and get a run out of it. Luckily, it went through the hole.”
The Tigers added an insurance run in the ninth, manufacturing another run courtesy of a sacrifice bunt. Liuzza’s sacrifice set up Mayer, who closed out the scoring with a single through the left side. For Mayer, it was his second consecutive clutch hit after coming through with the game-tying double at Georgia last weekend.
“It just seemed like the ball was dead here tonight,” said head coach Smoke Laval. “I told the guys, even during batting practice that it is going to have to happen on the ground tonight. Liuzza is a great bunter and did what he was supposed to do.”
Jason Determann shut the door on any chance of a Lion comeback, working the final 1.1 innings perfectly to record his third save in as many games and fourth of the season.
St. Germain (0-3) suffered the loss, as he did not retire a batter and was charged with two runs.
LSU 4, Southeastern La. 2 (Mar 23, 2005 at Metairie, La.)
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LSU………………….. 000 000 121 – 4 9 0 (18-4)
Southeastern La….. 000 100 100 – 2 8 0 (9-14)
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Pitchers: LSU – Meier; Faircloth(7); Determann(8). Southeastern La. – Robert; St. Germain(8); Pendarvis(8).
Win-Faircloth(1-0) Save-Determann(4) Loss-St. Germain(0-3) T-2:30 A-4217
HR LSU – Patterson (10).
St. Germain faced 2 batters in the 8th.