Defense Proves Costly as Tigers Lose to Baylor

No matter how good the LSU baseball team (9-3) is at the plate they won’t be able to seriously contend for the SEC championship or Omaha unless the fielding improves.

After committing three errors against in Friday’s win over Oklahoma and two in Saturday’s loss against Texas, the Tigers saved their best (worst?) for last committing five errors en route to a 9-6 loss to Baylor.

Sunday started off well enough for LSU as the Tigers scored two runs in the top of the first and had a 2-1 lead through the second inning.

But the wheels came off in third as Baylor tied the game by way of an error by Jack Merrifield. The Bears would later take a 3-2 lead courtesy of an Antonio Valdez RBI sac fly that scored Jared McKenzie.

But to their credit LSU responded immediately after, scoring three runs in the top of the fourth to go up 5-3. Gavin Dugas hit a two-run single up the middle that scored Brayden Jobert and Jordan Thompson, and then Dugas was brought home thanks to a Tre’ Morgan single to left field.

Baylor was able to get a run back in the bottom of the inning and then erupted for three runs in the sixth giving the Bears a 7-5 lead. Baylor first baseman Chase Wehsener scored on a fielder’s choice and then Jack Pineda took Paul Gervase deep to left centerfield.

LSU, somehow, did not concede a run in the bottom of the seventh despite their best efforts to hand the game to Baylor. The Tigers committed three runs in the inning, one on Jordan Thompson and two on Cade Doughty (one fielding and one throwing). But Eric Reyzleman was able to escape the bases loaded jam by striking out Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo to keep the game within reach at 7-5.

But whatever momentum that strikeout gave LSU, it was squandered in the eighth as Baylor tagged Devin Fontenot for two runs.

LSU was able to make things interesting in the ninth as Jacob Berry hit a solo home run to get LSU to within three.

LSU even had the tying run the plate but Jordan Thompson and Josh Stevenson struck out and ended the game.

Aside from a thrilling come from behind win Friday night against Oklahoma, LSU’s weekend in Houston was terrible. Texas totally shut down LSU and Ty Floyd looked in over his head going up against the No. 1 team in the nation; and on Sunday LSU went into the ninth inning with more errors than hits.

With all due respect to Maine, Southern, Towson, and New Orleans, when LSU has gone up against quality competition they’ve struggled. They went 1-2 this weekend and let’s not forget they had five errors in the loss to Louisiana Tech on February 23. Hitting home runs is cool and all but LSU already has 25 errors for the year and conference play hasn’t even started.

Jay Johnson and the Tigers a Tuesday night game against McNeese State and a weekend series against Bethune-Cookman to get right in the field before SEC play begins next week. Otherwise we’ll be in for a lot more nights like Sunday.