Blink and you may have missed two true freshmen dueling in a lighting-paced rubber match in Nashville.
Dominant pitching and the abbreviated seven-inning game put a premium on mistakes, and unfortunately for LSU, they made one.
Vanderbilt edged LSU 1-0 behind a complete game two-hitter from rookie Mason Hickman in a seven-inning rubber match that took just over 90 minutes to complete on Sunday afternoon. The game was shortened because of SEC rules since the two teams had to finish up a suspended game earlier in the day.
LSU (16-9, 3-3 SEC) was denied its first series victory in Nashville since 2005 despite six brilliant innings from Ma’Khail Hilliard. He struck out a career-high eight batters and retired the last nine hitters he faced.
Vanderbilt scored the game’s lone run in the first inning. A seeing-eye pas Bryce Jordan started the rally. After a stolen base and a fly ball to advance the runner to third, the Commodore came home on a pass ball off the glove of LSU catcher Hunter Feduccia.
LSU meanwhile wouldn’t do much of anything against Hickman. Daniel Cabrera picked up a hit in the third only to be erased on a caught stealing. Hal Hughes was robbed of what would’ve been an extra-base hit in the sixth by a diving grab in right field.
The Tigers will play again on Tuesday night against UL-Lafayette at the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic in Metairie. The Cajuns defeated LSU in Lafayette earlier this month.
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