By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
No. 13 LSU was an out away from a dramatic, come-from-behind victory at Vanderbilt Friday night in Nashville after erasing a 10-4 deficit through four innings and taking a 12-10 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.
But Vanderbilt’s Logan Johnstone won it with a two-run, walk-off home run off LSU closer Gavin Guidry for a stunning 13-12 victory over the Tigers (13-6, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) in their SEC opener. Guidry (3-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in an inning and two-thirds.
Guidry struck out Braden Holcomb looking for the second out after pinch-hitter Tommy Goodin and Ruston Rigdon led off the inning with singles before Brodie Johnston’s sacrifice fly to center drew the Commodores (12-7, 1-0 SEC) within 12-11.
On a no-ball and one-strike fastball, Johnstone ended it.
The two teams meet again Saturday at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.
The Tigers cut the Commodores’ 10-4 lead to 10-7 in the fifth inning with three runs. Steven Milam singled and Derek Curiel walked before Cade Arrambide singled to center to load the bases. Seth Dardar then pinch-hit for Brayden Simpson and hit a three-run double to left center.
With LSU reliever Zac Cown finally settling down the Vanderbilt offense, the Tigers struck for five in the eighth to take a 12-10 lead.
Chris Stanfield led off with a walk off reliever Jakob Schulz before Jake Brown singled. Curiel followed with a two-run double to get the Tigers within 10-9. Curiel later scored on a wild pitch to tie it at 10. Zach Yorke, whom Schulz walked, later scored on a passed ball for an 11-10 LSU lead. Reliever Tristan Bristow relieved Schulz, but hit Arrambide and Brown back-to-back before allowing Arrambide to score from third on a wild pitch for the 12-10 LSU advantage.
LSU took a 4-2 lead in the second inning on a three-run home run by Brown, who was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and has 10 homers and 31 RBIs on the season. The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Curiel after a single by Milam and a double by Brown.
LSU starter Casan Evans struggled, allowing six earned runs on five hits and five balls over three innings with five strikeouts. Cooper Williams kept the free passes going as he walked four and allowed four earned runs without retiring a batter. Jaden Noot also had trouble, walking two and allowing a hit through two-thirds of an inning.
Vanderbilt scored five in the fourth for the 10-4 lead.
Finally, Cowan was effective, allowing no runs and one hit with two walks over three and a third innings with a strikeout.
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