GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU’s bullpen experienced a Baptism by Burnt Orange in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night.
Tiger relievers blew a 5-2 lead in the fifth and a 7-6 lead in the seventh, and No. 5 Texas went on to win 11-7 over No. 2 LSU in front of 6,895 at a wild Disch-Falk Field to even the three-game series, 1-1.
The Tigers (22-2, 4-1 SEC) saw their 17-game winning streak end. LSU, which won 8-2 on Friday, will try to take the series in a 2 p.m. game Sunday on the SEC Network.
LSU starter Anthony Eyanson entered the the fifth inning with a 5-2 lead after allowing three hits and two runs with five strikeouts and one walk. But he quickly ran into trouble after walking Will Gasparino, who later scored on a passed ball to get Texas within 5-3. Eyanson struck out Tommy Farmer IV, but Ethan Mendoza singled to put runners on the corners and chased Eyanson.
Junior transfer Conner Ware came on and walked Max Belyeu, and he was out of there. Then it was freshman William Schmidt, who got a ground out for the second out of the inning. But then he gave up a three-run home run to Rylan Galvan for a 6-5 Longhorns’ lead.
Rattled, Schmidt gave up a double and two walks before Connor Benge got LSU out of the inning.
Freshman sensation Derek Curiel put LSU back up, 7-6, with a two-run home run in the sixth following a Chris Stanfield single.
But Benge held the lead for exactly two pitches to Jalin Flores, who then homered to tie it 7-7. After a ground out, Adrian Rodriguez and Kimble Schessler each singled to chase Benge. Sophomore DJ Primeaux came on and struck out Casey Borba, but he gave up an RBI single to Gasparino to put the Longhorns ahead to stay at 8-7 before getting out of the inning.
Texas (18-3, 4-1 SEC) added three more in the eighth off four LSU pitchers. Ethan Mendoza led off with a single off Benge, who then got a ground out. Jacob Mayers replaced him and immediately gave up an RBI single to Flores for a 9-7 deficit and walked Galvan and Rodriguez back-to-back.
Dalton Beck and freshman Mavrick Rizy were LSU’s seventh and eighth pitchers. Schuessler hit a two-run single off Rizy for the 11-7 lead.
All totaled, LSU’s seven-man bullpen allowed eight hits and seven earned runs with five walks and one strikeout. Benge took the loss after two runs on three hits in an inning and two-thirds to fall to 0-1.
Ware, Schmidt, Benge, Primeaux, Mayers, Beck and Rizzi all made their SEC road debuts in the hostile Disch-Falk.
The Tigers took their 5-2 lead in the fifth on an RBI double by Jared Jones, and RBI single by Jake Brown and a sacrifice fly by Steven Milam.
Reliever Max Grubbs (2-0) picked up the win with three and two-thirds of relief despite allowing two runs on five hits. Dylan Volantis got his fourth save, striking out two Tigers over the last inning and a third.
LSU went up 2-0 in the top of the fourth when Steven Milam walked with the bases loaded and Luis Hernandez hit an RBI grounder. Jones singled and Daniel Dickinson doubled to start the rally.
Texas tied it 2-2 in the fourth on an RBI single by Rodriguez and an RBI ground out by Schuessler.
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