BATON ROUGE — Catcher Matt Liuzza‘s game-winning, walk-off single capped a furious four-run ninth inning rally Saturday as the Gold team defeated the Purple team, 5-4, in the annual Alumni Game at Alex Box Stadium.
Liuzza, who was 3-for-5 on the day, connected on a J.T. Wise pitch into right field, scoring Buzzy Haydel with the game-winning run.
The Gold team entered the ninth trailing 4-1. Three consecutive hits, including a RBI triple by Bruce Sprowl closed the gap to a run. Haydel, a freshman from Gonzales, La., then connected with a triple of his own into the left field gap to knot the score at four apiece.
Wise suffered the loss, surrendering five hits and four runs in 0.1 inning pitched.
Fellow freshman Darryl Shaffer earned the win despite allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits in four innings.
The teams engaged in a pitcher’s duel for the first five innings as freshman Louis Coleman of the Gold team tossed four outstanding innings of no-run, two-hit ball.
“I expected him to do that today,” said head coach Smoke Laval. “When we signed him and recruited him we saw that from him. He got better today and that was good.”
Former Tigers Greg Smith and Nate Bumstead — now pitching in the Arizona and Detroit organizations, respectively — combined to work the first four frames for the Purple squad, allowing only a hit apiece.
The Purple team pushed across the first runs of the game with a four-run sixth highlighted by a two-run double from Gerard Victoriano and a RBI single by former LSU infielder Clay Harris, now in the Phildelphia Phillies organization.
Victoriano led the Purple with three hits on the day. Freshman Jarred Bogany went 3-for-5 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base.
“I liked what I saw from the newcomers today,” said Laval. “A lot of guys got some confidence out there, but the veterans can’t take nights off.”
Earlier in the day, a host of former Tiger players faced off in the Legends Alumni Game. Former Tiger first baseman and current LSU administrative assistant Jeramie Moore went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a two-run double to lead the Purple to a 9-6 win over the Gold.
LSU, ranked No. 15 in the Collegiate Baseball magazine preseason poll, opens the regular season at 6:30 p.m. Friday against North Florida in Alex Box Stadium.
Purple 000 004 000 — 4 11 4
Gold 000 001 004 — 5 13 1
E – Victoriano (2), Cain, Pontiff; Stewart. DP – Purple 1, Gold 2.
LOB – Purple 7, Gold 10. 2B — Victoriano (2), Wise
3B – Sprowl, Haydel. SB – Sprowl, Bogany
W – Shaffer. L – Wise.
Time – 2:19. Attendance: 3,347 (1,409 actual).