Baseball Falls to Third-Ranked LSU on Friday, 6-2

Friday, April 3

Hoover, Ala.

3:00 p.m

Alabama

15-14, 4-7

LSU

26-5, 7-4

LSU

Alabama

Baseball Falls to Third-Ranked LSU on Friday, 6-2

4/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 3, 2015

HOOVER, Ala. -- Alabama baseball fell, 6-2, to third-ranked LSU on Friday afternoon in the second game of the three-game series with the Tigers inside the Hoover Met. With the loss, Alabama moves to 15-14 overall and 4-7 in the SEC.

"We just didn't play well enough today," said Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard. "When you're playing a team like LSU, you can't make many mistakes. Will Carter gave us a good, solid start and got us deep into the game, but we didn't help him a whole lot defensively or offensively.

Junior righty Will Carter pitched 6.1 innings for Tide and collected six strikeouts to tie his season high, which he also recorded in his first start of the season against Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 14. The Tide starter allowed four runs, three earned, and kept Alabama in the game. The Crimson Tide defense proved to be the downfall, as Alabama committed a season-high tying four errors.

Alabama knocked double-digit hits for the 15th time this season, but was unable to string them together for runs. The Tide stranded 13 in today's contest and has now stranded 24 in the two games against LSU.

The Tigers opened the day's scoring, knocking in a run with a two-out single in the top of the first. The run was unearned, as a fielding error extended the inning for the Tigers. LSU would put up another run in the fourth, when Chris Chinea collected a solo home run to left-center field, his second of the series.

The Tigers would put up a three spot in the seventh, as a walk and a single put two runners on with just one down. A single to left plated one run, and then a passed ball moved the two runners up into scoring position. With two on, a two-base error allowed both runners to cross to give LSU three in the inning and a 5-0 lead.

Alabama countered in the home half of the seventh to narrow the gap. With two down and runners on the corners, J.C. Wilhite blooped a single to center to bring one run across and knock out the LSU starter for the day. The new pitcher was greeted with a Cody Henry double to left to bring in one and put two in scoring position. The Tide would bring the tying run to the plate, but could not score the big hit. LSU would add one more before day's end and come out on top, 6-2.

LSU freshman Alex Lange pitched six shutout innings before finding trouble in the seventh and allowing the consecutive RBI hits to Wilhite and Henry. Lange collected his sixth win on the year despite allowing a season-high eight hits and striking out a season-low three batters.

Alabama and LSU will close out the series tomorrow afternoon with a 2 p.m. start time on the SECN+. Alabama will send sophomore Geoffrey Bramblett to the mound, while LSU will counter with freshman Jake Godfrey.

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ALABAMA POSTGAME NOTES

Alabama collected 11 hits to give the team double-digits hits in 15 games this season. UA is 10-5 in games when the team records 10 or more knocks.
The Crimson Tide committed a season-high tying four errors. The last game Alabama committed four this season was March 21 in game two vs. Texas A&M.
Will Carter tossed 6.1 innings of work on the evening, his longest start since his first of the season against Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 14. He went 7.0 innings in that game.
Carter also struck out a season-high tying six batters on the day. His other six-punchout game came in that Maryland Eastern Shore start.
Chandler Avant finished the day 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Over that time, the freshman is batting .375 (18-48) with one double, five RBI, three runs scored, three walks and three stolen bases.
Avant has recorded one or more hits in all but one game across his last 16.
With his walk in this evening's contest, Kyle Overstreet has reached base safely in his last 18 contests dating back to the March 3 game vs. Auburn in the Capital City Classic.
J.C. Wilhite finished the evening 2-for-5 with one RBI. In conference play, the senior is batting .375 (12-32) with one double, four RBI, five runs scored, one walk and one HBP.
In conference play, Wilhite has recorded a hit in seven of his eight games played. Five of those games have been multi-hit efforts.
Mikey White finished the day 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. In home games this season, White is batting .403 (25-62) with seven doubles, three triples, two home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored, six walks and three stolen bases.