No. 1 LSU Slips By No. 2 Baseball, 4-3

Thursday, April 23

Baton Rouge, LA

6:30 PM

Texas A&M

36-6, 12-6

LSU

36-6, 13-5

Texas A&M

LSU

Apr 23, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – The No. 2 Texas A&M Aggies tied the game in the top of the ninth, but the No. 1 LSU Tigers responded with a run in the bottom of the frame to register a 4-3 win Thursday night at Alex Box Stadium.

Jake Fraley started the bottom of the ninth with a single to rightfield, but was gunned down by Nick Banks as he was trying to stretch it into a double. Jared Foster followed with a single to centerfield, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored the walk-off run when Danny Zardon laced a single down the leftfield line.

Trailing 3-2 going into the ninth, JB Moss got a rally started with a wall-banger to the gap in left center for a leadoff triple. He scored a game-tying run when Logan Nottebrok slapped a single into rightfield. Blake Kopetsky, pinch-running for Nottebrok, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Patrick McLendon. After Michael Barash grounded out to short for the second out of the inning, Blake Allemand drew a walk.

Banks was intentionally walked to load the bases after a wild pitch freed up first base. Pinch-hitter GR Hinsley fell behind 1-2, but fouled off a pitch before taking a walk to even the count at 2-2. Hinsley looked at a pitch outside for ball three, filling the count, but the next pitch, in the same vicinity was called strike three, leaving the bases loaded and the score tied at 3-3.

Allemand led the Aggies at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one run. Moss was 2-for-4 with one triple and two runs.

Chris Chinea was the lone Tiger with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.

Texas A&M (36-6, 12-6 SEC) drew first blood in the top of the first inning. Allemand stroked an 0-1 offering down the leftfield line for a leadoff double and Nick Banks knocked him home with a single to rightfield, staking the Aggies to a 1-0 lead.

The Aggies tacked on another run in the second inning. Moss threaded a single through the left side of the infield to start the frame. Logan Nottebrok hit a double-play grounder to second base, but LSU's Jared Foster muffed the scoop, putting Aggies on first and second. After Ryne Birk was unable to put down a sacrifice bunt, Barash snaked a single through the left side to plate Moss for the 2-0 advantage. The Aggies were unable to add more runs in the inning as Allemand bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to close out the frame.

LSU (36-6, 13-5 SEC) tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Conner Hale drew a five-pitch walk and with a hit-and-run on Kade Scivicque slipped a single through the spot vacated by second baseman Ryne Birk who went to cover the bag. With runners on the corners, Andrew Stevenson bounced a grounder to second base but it was too slow to turn the inning-ending double play and Hale came home to score. Stevenson stole second base and scored the equalizer when Chinea punched a single through the left side of the infield.

The Tigers claimed their first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Fraley started the frame with a walk and Foster pushed him to second with a sacrifice bunt. After Ty Schlottmann relieved Aggie starter Grayson Long on the mound, Fraley was deemed to have stolen third base and ball four to pinch-hitter Danny Zardon to put runners on the corners. Schottmann enticed Mark Laird into bouncing weakly back to the mound, but the left-hander's throw back to second base to try to start the rally-killing double play floated to the right of the bag for an error and Fraley came home with the go-ahead run.

The Aggies let a scoring opportunity slip away in the eighth. With one out, Allemand singled to rightfield. After Banks swung and missed at strike three for the second out, Mitchell Nau singled to second base and a throwing error by Foster put two runners in scoring position. Logan Taylor was intentionally walked to fill the bags with Ags and bring Hunter Melton to the plate. Melton struck out swinging to end the frame.

Long did not factor in the decision, working 6.1 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. Andrew Vinson (3-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing one run on four hits while striking out one in 2.0 innings.

Collin Strall (3-0) earned the win, retiring the only batter he faced with a strikeout. Starter Jared Poche' allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out one over 7.0 innings.

The Aggies and Tigers return to action Friday with a 7 pm contest at Alex Box Stadium. The game will air on the SEC Network Alternate Channel.

Rob Childress