I don’t have a whole lot to add to Pittman’s posting, but since I have rights to make my own post, I’m not just gonna respond. I can make a whole new story and dominate the top of the page. But in general, I agree with him. But here are my own comments after the break:
1. UNC got lucky, and we didn’t. I don’t mean the only reason UNC won is because of luck, but UNC was not making good contact, but the ball was placed in exactly the right place. LSU made some good contact, only it was right at a UNC defender. A batter doesn’t really have that much control over where the ball is placed, so that’s just some miserable luck. It happens. The 1st inning especially was just a series of unfortunate events. It wasn’t bad defense, it was just the balls had eyes.
2. Well, there was bad defense in the 3rd. Schimpf’s error on a just-what-the-doctor-ordered double play ball resulted in zero outs instead of two. Later in the inning, a hard hit ball to Hollander also could have resulted in a double play, but Clark took his foot off the bag. You can’t give UNC extra outs, and they took advantage and scored two runs in an inning in which they should have scored zero.
3. I don’t want to criticize Mainieri, because he really has done a masterful job these past two months, but Leon Landry had no business playing last night. His defense was poor, he kept getting bad breaks on the ball, and his at bats were even worse. The eye is obviously affecting him, and Mainieiri should have at the very least pinch hit for Landry in the 8th. Yes, he was safe, but that was his best at bat of the day and it resulted in a double play.
4. I disagree with Pittman about Mitchell. Mitchell struck out twice, but he also drew two walks and had a base hit. Except for his first inning at bat, he worked the count in every plate appearance. He was one of our best hitters last night and he had a great approach at the plate. I would have liked to see our other hitters work the count like Mitchell did, even in his strikeouts.
5. It was a horrible call. That’s baseball. Get over it.
6. Finally, UNC is a better team. I’m sorry, the gap isn’t massive, but they are better. LSU needed the breaks to go their way to win, and instead, they went UNC’s way.