GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
It was going to happen. Sooner or later, one of LSU’s duo of magicians in the bullpen was going to lose a game or blow a save opportunity.
It happened on Saturday afternoon at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas, when LSU reliever Zac Cowan lost his first game of the season in his 17th appearance and 41st inning as the No. 2 Tigers fell, 3-1, at Texas A&M in the first game of a doubleheader.
LSU (38-10, 15-8 Southeastern Conference) came back to win the second game, 2-1, over the Aggies (26-20, 9-14 SEC) Saturday night behind starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson’s complete game.
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The third game will be at 1 p.m. Sunday on SEC Network+ with LSU coach Jay Johnson expected to start freshman right-hander Casan Evans (3-0, 1.09 ERA, 6 saves) against Aggies’ junior left-hander Myles Patton (3-3, 4.84 ERA). The original LSU-A&M series opener scheduled for Friday night was moved to Saturday because of bad weather.
Cowan entered the game 2-0 on the season with six saves and 1.12 ERA and .179 batting average allowed. But with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the first batter he faced Saturday, Ben Royo, tripled. Pinch-hitter Hayden Schott then singled Royo in for a 2-1 lead before Caden Sorrell’s sacrifice fly later put the Aggies up, 3-1. Cowan suffered his first loss of the season.
LSU starter Kade Anderson had pitched a masterpiece through six innings, allowing one run in the second inning on a Royo RBI double after a lead-off walk. Anderson gave up only two other hits and two other walks while striking out 12 through 113 pitches and 73 strikes.
The Tigers had tied it 1-1 in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Jared Jones to left field off Texas A&M lefty starter Ryan Prager. It was Jones’ team leading 16th home run of the season.
Prager allowed only four other hits and no more runs with three walks and five strikeouts through seven innings to improve to 3-3 on the season.
LSU had its chances as it left 10 runners on base. With Steven Milam on first base with two outs in the top of the seventh and the score tied 1-1, Chris Stanfield doubled to left field. When Milam tried to score on the hit, A&M left fielder Jamal George threw to shortstop Kaeden Kent, who threw to catcher Bear Harrison, who tagged Milam out at the plate.
Jones and Josh Pearson singled before a Jake Brown walk to load the bases with one out in the eighth, but reliever Kaiden Wilson came on to get pinch-hitter Ethan Frey to fly out to right field to end the inning.
Michael Braswell singled off Wilson to lead off the ninth. After Milam flew out to shortstop, Stanfield walked. But Wilson got Derek Curiel to fly out to left to finish 0-for-5 and not reach base safely for only the second time this season. Jones stepped up as the potential winning run, but struck out swinging to end the game. Wilson picked up his first save of the season.
LSU freshman reliever Mavrick Rizy pitched very well, allowing no hits or runs with one walk and four strikeouts over the final inning and two-thirds.
Cowan threw only 16 pitches before Rizy relieved him, so he could be available for Sunday’s game.
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