The LSU bats woke up on Thursday night as LSU baseball took game one against Alabama. That put LSU in a position to win the series on Friday. Tigers’ starter Anthony Eyanson struck out 12 Bama hitters, and LSU took game two and the series, winning 4-3.
Just like Thursday, Alabama scored first. This time it was not via the long ball; it came on an RBI groundout. The Tide were able to load the bases in the top of the first after scoring their first run, but they were unable to score any extra runs.
After that, Anthony Eyanson locked into the game and shut Bama down in the second and third innings before LSU got on the board in the bottom of the third. Danny Dickinson hit an RBI single, and Jared Jones hit an RBI double to give LSU a 2-1 lead as we headed to the fourth inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Tide loaded the bases with two outs as they looked to tie the game or retake the lead. Alabama had the exact guy they wanted at the plate as well. Justin Lebron was in the batter’s box. Eyanson fell behind 3-0 in the count before working back and striking Lebron out to end the inning and save the Tigers’ lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Michael Braswell III started LSU off with a double, Chris Stanfield would then single to advance Braswell to third, and Derek Curiel hit a two-RBI single to extend the LSU lead to 4-1. Both teams would go away quietly in the fifth and sixth innings as the lead remained 4-1 for LSU.
Eyanson’s night ended after he pitched six full innings and allowed one run on four hits, 12 strikeouts, and five walks. Zac Cowan would then enter to pitch for LSU. In the top of the seventh, Alabama scored on an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-2.
Cowan remained in to pitch the eighth inning, and other than allowing a single, the Tide were not able to get anything going. In the bottom of the eighth inning, LSU was able to load the bases, but Jared Jones and Steven Milam were not able to bring anyone home.
Cowan remained in the game to pitch the ninth inning. The Tide started the inning with a double, and a wild pitch moved the runner to third with no outs. Lebron struck out, a sacrifice fly, then cut the lead to 4-3 with two outs. A lineout would end the game as LSU won 4-3.
With the win, LSU improves to 34-6 overall and 12-5 in conference play. The Tigers will look for the sweep on Sunday as game three is slated to start at 5 PM CT.