No. 18 LSU baseball fell behind early and was never able to make it close with No. 7 Vanderbilt in a blowout game three loss.
The Tigers surrendered a run in every inning on their way to dropping another game three and their fourth SEC series of the season. It was their third time being run-ruled in a game three this season and their second time at home.
LSU (21-12, 3-9 SEC) took game one and looked poised to take game two, but it was never competitive in game three. Vanderbilt (25-7, 8-4 SEC) ended the game with 14 hits on the day as LSU fell 13-3 in eight innings.
“[The players] have to answer the competitive level question,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “I mean today we just go beat on the field. Not a good day. They beat us pretty good.”
The Commodores scored in the first inning thanks to an Alan Espinal RBI double. LSU responded with a three up, three down inning on offense before surrendering two more runs in the second inning thanks to a Braden Holcomb homer. Holcomb would end the game with five RBI.
Vanderbilt added two more in the third inning and found itself up 5-0 before LSU was able to respond with a score of its own. Paxton Kling doubled for the Tigers in the bottom of the third and a throwing error in the next at bat brought him home to cut the deficit to 5-1.
Vanderbilt plated two more in the fourth inning to bring its lead to 7-1. LSU had no reply offensively and went three up, three down in the bottom of the fourth.
Holcomb hit an RBI single to score Jayden Davis in the fifth inning and bring the lead to 8-1. LSU looked like it might cut the deficit in the bottom of the fifth after singles from Ashton Larson and Steven Milam, but both runners ended up being left stranded.
Maybe the best news of the game for LSU fans came in the top of the sixth inning when Jaden Noot made his first appearance in purple and gold. Noot gave up three runs in the inning. Holcomb hit his second homer of the game to put the Commodores up 11-1.
Jared Jones gave LSU its first earned runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-RBI homer that cut the lead to 11-3. But like it had all game, Vanderbilt scored another run in the next inning to make it 12-3.
Vanderbilt scored again in the eighth to make it a ten-run game again. LSU needed a run in the bottom of the frame to avoid being run-ruled. Alex Milazzo started the inning with a single and Jones was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base, but the Tigers couldn’t get a run when they needed it. Strikeouts from Brady Neal, Ethan Frey and Larson ended the game.
LSU only managed two earned runs and were struck out 14 times. No Tiger had more than one hit.
LSU’s next game will be Tuesday against McNeese. That game will start at 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on SEC Network+.
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