LSU Was Within Routine Double Play Of Losing To Hogs And Having To Play Thursday Night

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

OMAHA, Nebraska – LSU could be taking infield right now on this Thursday evening and getting ready to play Arkansas in an elimination game here at the College World Series with a date in the championship series over the weekend on the line.

But on Wednesday night Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy chose not to try a potential, game-ending 6-4-3 double play with one out and runners on first and second and the Razorbacks leading the Tigers, 5-3, in the bottom of the ninth at Charles Schwab Field.

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Instead, after Aloy fielded Steven Milam’s grounder going toward third base, he took the sure second out by throwing to third to force out Derek Curiel. Replays showed Aloy had a good chance of tossing to second to get Ethan Frey and second baseman Cam Kozeal relaying to first base to get Milam and end the game with Arkansas winning 5-3.

“I think everyone was surprised he didn’t go for the double play,” LSU pitcher Jaden Noot said Thursday at the Tigers’ Embassy Suites team hotel. “But on the other side of it, who knows what he saw on the play? But what we saw, we obviously thought it should have been a double play.”

Double play would have meant Arkansas wins 5-3.

… No Luis Hernandez batting next and doubling off the shoulder of slipping left fielder Charles Davalan, allowing two runs to score for a 5-5 tie.

… No Jared Jones’ walk-off single to score Hernandez for the 6-5 LSU win.

LSU JUST HAS CAJUN MAGIC IN OMAHA

… And maybe no ace Kade Anderson (11-1, 3.44 ERA) starting for the Tigers (51-15) Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN) in the opener of the best-of-three national title series against Coastal Carolina (56-11) and its ace Jacob Morrison (12-0, 2.08 ERA).

No, Anderson would have possibly gotten the start against Arkansas tonight. And with a win, LSU would have had to try to beat Coastal two out of three without Anderson. Just as the Tigers beat Florida two out of three two years ago without ace Paul Skenes (13-2, 1.69 ERA).

Because Skenes had to pitch in that Thursday elimination game against No. 1 seed Wake Forest and delivered a two-hit, no-decision, shutout masterpiece over eight innings with nine strikeouts and one walk. LSU won it 2-0 in the 11th on a walk-off home run by Tommy White. Skenes threw 120 pitchers and would have been available only for closer duty on Monday night against Florida, but the Tigers didn’t need it in an 18-4 win for the title.

LSU coach Jay Johnson hinted on Thursday afternoon at the Embassy Suites that he would’ve started Anderson in a Thursday game, but he didn’t confirm it.

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“You have to win to stay in the tournament,” he said. “That’s nine innings of somebody, so it’s probably two guys are completely unavailable for the weekend. And when you’re playing a team of this caliber (Coastal Carolina), to have everybody have at least two days off is a big deal.”

Asked directly who he would’ve started in a Thursday night game by Tiger Rag, Johnson didn’t bite.

“Somebody that took and passed 12 units at LSU in the spring semester,” he cracked.

Seriously, he may have started Anthony Eyanson (11-2, 2.92 ERA) Thursday since Eyanson would have had two full days rest after throwing just 44 pitches in three innings. Johnson said Thursday that he considered bringing Eyanson in Wednesday night to close, had LSU been in the lead late.

Instead, Arkansas scored two in the eighth off reliever Chase Shores for a 3-2 lead. After LSU tied it 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth on a Jared Jones homer, Arkansas went ahead again in the top of the ninth at 5-3 with two more off Shores before Jacob Mayers came on and got the win in the end.

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Arkansas’ season ended at 50-16 with its fourth loss in five games to LSU amid a lot of questions.

“The way it all turned out, I guess I would have,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said when asked if he would have preferred Aloy go for the double play in the ninth instead of the force at third.

“I think he felt he moved too far to his right for Cam to turn it. I don’t know,” Van Horn said. “He (Milam) is an average runner. He’s not a flyer, but he’s not slow either. So, I don’t know.”

For a flash, Johnson thought LSU had lost when Milam hit the double-play grounder to shortstop that wasn’t.

“Yeah, for a second. I was like, ‘Oh, he (Milam) is going to have to hurry and get down the line.’ And then it was over far enough that he (Aloy) had his body turned, and it looked like he didn’t think about doing anything but taking the easy out there,” Johnson said. “I mean, that’s part of the game. We caught a break, maybe. But he might’ve been safe, too. So, something you never know, and glad we’ll never find out, I guess.”

LSU caught another break on Hernandez’ two-run liner double to left field that Davalan slipped trying to make a catch that would have also ended the game.

“Yeah, it looked like it was caught,” Noot said. “And then heads turn following the ball, ‘Oh, it’s down.’ Everyone’s happy. It was a cool moment.”

Unless you’re from Arkansas.

“I had a straight-on view of it,” Van Horn said. “It looked like Charles slipped right at the beginning of taking off for it. When he slipped, he probably lost sight of it. Feeling bad for Charles because I could see him out there. He’s so emotional, and everybody hugging on him. It’s not his fault. We wouldn’t have got here without him. It’s like life. It’s a roller coaster. He said that he was sorry. And I said, ‘Don’t tell me you’re sorry.’ That kid doesn’t have to be sorry for anything. He was our glue, man.”

LSU MAY BE KEEPING ASSISTANT JOSH JORDAN AFTER ALL

LSU assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator Josh Jordan may not be returning to Duke as its new coach. There are reports that Duke will instead be hiring Wake Forest pitching coach Corey Muscara.