By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
AUSTIN, Texas – What started with high hopes after a series-opening win ended in a massive failure in No. 2 LSU’s first test against a top 10-ranked team.
After the Tigers dominated every phase of the game in an 8-2 victory in Friday night’s opener of a three-game SEC road series, No. 8 Texas took control in the last two matchups.
The Longhorns’ pitching staff silenced the Tigers’ SEC-leading offense while Texas bats battered 11 pitchers for 24 hits including three homers in an 11-7 Game 2 win on Saturday and a 6-2 Game 3 victory on Sunday to win the series.
LSU fourth-year head coach Jay Johnson, whose team headed home 21-3 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, didn’t stick around for the end.
He was ejected in the eighth inning on Sunday by first base umpire Kellen Levy. Johnson disagreed with Levy’s check swing ruling call as Texas left fielder Tommy Farmer IV attempted to bunt.
Farmer singled two pitches later on a 2-1 pitch, which was a good example of little going right for the Tigers after Friday’s opening win which featured 13 LSU hits and pitchers Kade Anderson and Zac Cowan combining for 11 strikeouts and no walks.
In the last two games against the Longhorns (19-3, 5-1 SEC), two LSU starters and nine relievers allowed 24 hits and 17 runs while striking out 15 and walking 9.
Sunday was a massive failure at the plate as Johnson tipped his hat to Texas’ pitchers.
“We’ve been elite this season with two-strike hitting, but they beat us in that regard today,” Johnson said. :”They did a better job with two strikes than we did, and that was the difference in this game.”
Here’s a game-by-game series recap:
Game 1: LSU 8, Texas 2 –After spotting Texas a 1-0 third-inning lead, the Tigers dominated the Longhorns in every phase for its 17th straight win in Friday’s series opener.
LSU starting pitcher Kade Anderson and reliever Zac Cowan combined for 10 strikeouts and no walks. The Tigers’ offense had 13 hits spread among every LSU starter.
Anderson, now 4-0, allowed just two runs and scattered seven hits while striking out eight and walking one. The sophomore lefty not only ended all six innings of his work with a strikeout but now has struck out at least one batter in 21 straight innings.
LSU catcher Luis Hernandez, who started slowly this season after transferring from Indiana State, went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI. It included a two-run homer in the fourth inning that erased Texas’ only lead, a two-out RBI single in the fifth and scored a run in the Tigers’ four-run seventh after singling.
Game 2: Texas 11, LSU 7 – LSU’s relief pitching staff couldn’t hope the rope Saturday night as the No. 2 Tigers’ 17-game winning streak slipped away.
In a battle with four lead changes including one each in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, No. 8 Texas battered five LSU relievers for seven runs and nine hits including two homers.
The Longhorns’ 3-4-5-hole hitters — shortstop Jalin Flores, catcher Rylan Galvan and third baseman Adrian Rodriguez – were a combined 8 of 12 at the plate with six RBI, seven runs, two homers and a double.
The Tigers led the Longhorns 7-6 through six innings but then it was all Texas to the finish. UT scored the final five runs with two runs in the seventh and three runs on three hits in the eighth.
LSU finished with nine hits, three by first baseman Jared Jones and two by centerfielder Chris Stanfield.
Game 3: Texas 6, LSU 2 – Right fielder Max Belyeu drove in four runs on Sunday afternoon, including a two-run homer in the fourth extended the Longhorns’ advantage to 5-0 and a two-out RBI triple in the sixth to conclude the scoring.
Texas starting pitcher Ruger Riojas (5-1) held limited LSU to two runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings with one walk and six strikeouts. Reliever Dylan Volantis picked up his fifth save for the Longhorns, allowing no runs and no hits with five strikeouts and a walk in the final 3.1 innings.
LSU starter Chase Shores (4-1) was shelled for five runs on seven hits in four innings.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com