TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — First baseman Evan Bush’s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 13th lifted Alabama to a 5-4 win over No. 4 LSU in a wild series finale at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Sunday.
The Tigers (21-8, 5-4) fell into a tie for second-place in the SEC Western Division with the loss. The Crimson Tide (22-9, 6-3) sit alone atop the Western Division standings.
LSU lost its second consecutive SEC series for the first time since the 2002 season. Sunday’s game was also the longest extra-inning contest since the Tigers defeated Birmingham Southern, 6-5, in 13 innings at Alex Box Stadium in 2002.
Bush’s game-winning hit came off of Jordan Faircloth with no outs in the 13th frame. Leadoff hitter Emeel Salem bunted his way on and then reached second when Michael Hollander dropped a throw from Jordan Faircloth on Rocky Scelfo’s bunt attempt.
Faircloth (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing the one unearned run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief.
Jordan Davis earned the win of relief, pitching a season-high 6.2 innings. Davis limited LSU to five hits and no runs.
The Tigers trailed early for the 10th straight game and the third time in the series when right fielder Morrow Thomley unloaded a one-out second inning solo homer over the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, the Tiger bats were silent through the first four innings. Starter David Robertson faced the minimum in the first, third and fourth.
The Tide had a promising start to their half of the fourth, loading the bases with no outs. Bush and Gabe Scott collected back-to-back singles and Thomley was hit by a pitch. Starter Greg Smith was able to minimize the damage, surrendering a lone run on a sacrifice fly by Allen Rice as UA left the bases loaded.
Trailing 2-0, the Tigers also left the sacks full in the top of the fifth, but not before tying the game on a clutch two-run double by Matt Liuzza, which was chopped down into the left field corner.
Smith tired in the fifth and yielded to Jason Determann with two on and one out. Determann escaped trouble forcing a fielder’s choice on Gabe Scott and fanning Thomley.
Cale Iorg, who was previously 0-for-10 in the series, gave the Tide the lead again in the sixth on an RBI single to left.
Patterson had been held in check on the day until his two-run single off of Alabama reliever Brandon Belcher in the seventh, erasing the deficit and giving LSU their first lead at 4-3.
The Tigers couldn’t hold the lead as Determann allowed Thomley and Kody Valverde — the first two batters of the eighth — to reach on singles. A sacrifice bunt by Allen Rice moved the runners into scoring position, and Determann’s day was finished.
Edgar Ramirez inherited the situation in his first pressure relief role in SEC games. Iorg knotted the game again on a sac-fly to center, but Ramirez retired both batters he faced, giving LSU a chance to strike again.
Both teams were presented with excellent scoring opportunities in the 11th inning, but both left the bases loaded.
Alabama 5, LSU 4 (Apr 03, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
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LSU……………….. 000 020 200 000 0 – 4 11 2 (21-8, 5-4 SEC)
Alabama…………. 010 101 010 000 1 – 5 14 2 (22-9, 6-3 SEC)
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Pitchers: LSU – Smith, G.; Determann(5); Ramirez(8); Faircloth(11). Alabama – Robertson; Belcher(7); J. Davis(7).
Win-J. Davis(3-0) Loss-Faircloth(1-1) T-4:30 A-4591
HR UA – Thomley (1).
Belcher faced 2 batters in the 7th.