No. 3 LSU baseball suffers Saturday upset loss to Omaha

A late comeback effort in the ninth inning fell one run short as No. 3 LSU suffered its first loss of the season to Omaha on Saturday. The Tigers were held scoreless until the final inning, when they reeled off four runs before Steven Milam hit a fly ball to center field that was caught to end the game 5-4 in favor of the Mavericks.

LSU entered the bottom of the inning down 5-0 after giving up all five runs to Omaha in the seventh. A two-RBI double from leadoff hitter Daniel Dickinson got things going for the Tigers in the ninth, making it a 5-2 deficit with no outs.

An RBI single from Jared Jones brought in another run to make it 5-3 with still no outs having been recorded. A sacrifice fly on the next play brought the out total to one, but now LSU found itself only one more run away from tying the game.

Unfortunately, that would be the final run it managed as Omaha secured the final two outs to put the Tigers away. LSU won the opening game of the series on Friday, which brought the total to a 1-1.

The third and final game of the series, which will determine the winner, got underway at 5 p.m. CT. The Tigers dropped to a 4-1 record with the loss while Omaha improved to 2-4.

LSU bounces back in second game of doubleheader vs. Omaha to claim series

LSU wasn’t about to lose two in a row, however, as it came back with a vengence in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader to win 12-1. Jones led the way, going 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBI in that win.

Jones powered LSU’s 13-hit attack in the nightcap. Milam was 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, and designated hitter Josh Pearson doubled and drove in two runs.

Chase Shores got the win at pitcher, recording five scoreless innings with six strikeouts before he was relieved.

“Chase is excellent, he’s one of the best pitchers in the country,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “He’s pitching with great confidence and great tempo, and he’s throwing all of his pitches for strikes. I thought he was good last weekend, and I thought he was better this weekend.”

LSU is now 6-1 on the young season and will wait to see if it falls in the polls after the loss Saturday. Next up for the Tigers is a game against Nicholls State at 6 p.m. CT on Monday.