HOOVER, Ala. – The University of Alabama’s rematch against LSU brought no redemption Friday, as the Tigers turned a two-run ninth inning with their backs against the wall to claim a 3-2 victory over the Crimson Tide and knocked them out of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Though the tension was thick throughout the game, the ninth frame provided the real drama. Nursing a 2-1 lead, Alabama pitcher Mike Oczypok looked to close out the ball game. After a base hit and subsequent double play, LSU’s Christian Ibarra hit a single to keep the Tigers’ hopes alive. The next batter, Tyler Moore, crushed a huge double to bring home Ibarra’s pinch hitter from first.
Unfortunately for the Tide, the bleeding didn’t stop there. With Moore on second for LSU and the game tied at two runs apiece, Ty Ross came to the plate and hit a liner to left field that allowed Moore to tag home in the go-ahead score. LSU pitcher Chris Cotton struck out the final three Alabama batters to close the come-from-behind victory.
Head coach Mitch Gaspard gave credit after the game to both team’s efforts on the diamond.
“I thought both teams played extremely well,” Gaspard said. “I thought offensively we did a really good job. It was just one of those games that didn’t line up for us but I was really pleased with the effort from our team throughout the game.”
The first score came in the third inning with a monster belt by LSU’s Sean McMullen that nearly cleared the park, instead bringing Tyler Moore home to put LSU ahead.
LSU’s offense once again threatened in the fourth inning, loading the bases after an error from right fielder Ben Moore allowed the Tigers to load the bases. The Tide defense held, with first baseman Austen Smith trapping a grounder up the first base line to end the first half of the inning.
Alabama finally got on the board in the fifth inning with a Mikey White triple that sent Moore home from first base. A Brett Booth RBI single to right field allowed White to cash in on his contributions from third base and take the lead for Bama 2-1. That would be the only runs Alabama would gain in the contest, though.
The Tide’s infield defense is largely what kept the team competitive in the game, turning four double plays. Oczypok, a freshman and former walk-on, pitched all but one out of the game for Alabama while striking out five pitchers and walking only one. Booth complimented his teammate after the game.
“You can’t say enough about what kind of job Mike did today,” Booth said. “He came in, went out there and kept the ball in the zone and just threw a ton of strikes and let the defense work for him.”
LSU head coach Paul Manieri also offered his perspective on the thrilling contest.
“I’ve been in the business 25 years, and that’s it in a nutshell,” Manieri said. “It was the widest range of emotions.” With the loss, Alabama is tentatively finished with postseason play. The Tide will wait until Monday, when the NCAA Baseball postseason selection show will air, to learn its fate.
