The Tigers (21-17-1) lost their third straight game at Zephyr
Field. UNO (25-12) extended its winning streak to six games on the year and
snapped an eight-game losing streak to LSU.
Proceeds from the game
benefited numerous charitable organizations in the New Orleans area. The
Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation was established in memory of LSU's all-SEC third
baseman who died in 2002 at age 21 due to heart abnormalities.
LSU faces
No. 15 Mississippi State in a three-game Southeastern Conference series in
Starkville this
weekend. Game times are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1:30
p.m. Sunday.
The Tigers trailed 4-3 entering the top of the ninth before
designated hitter Blake Dean launched a leadoff, solo homer over the right field
wall on the first pitch he saw from reliever Adam Campbell. Dean, who was
hitless in his three previous at-bats, extended his hitting streak to 19 games
and homered for the second straight contest.
LSU had a chance at taking
the lead when left fielder Ryan Schimpf drew a one-out walk. However, catcher
Robert Lara grounded into a double play to retire the side.
Freshman
Paul Bertuccini struck out the first batter he faced in the ninth, but catcher
Josh Tarnow ripped a one-out single to left. He advanced into scoring position
on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Jarrod Ware. Bowser followed with the
game-winning double over Schimpf's head, scoring Tarnow.
Bowser finished 2-for-5 with a
run and an RBI. He scored the game's first run on a sacrifice fly by third
baseman T.J. Baxter in the bottom of the first.
Bertuccini (0-1), the
fifth LSU pitcher of the evening, suffered his first career loss, allowing one
run on three hits in 1.1 innings of relief.
Campbell (3-0) was
credited with the victory, despite issuing the solo homer to Dean.
LSU
had taken a 3-1 lead in the top of the second against UNO starter Justin Garcia.
First baseman Sean Ochinko lined a leadoff double into the left field corner and
then took third on a shallow single to centerfield by Schimpf.
Lara
drove in Ochinko on a soft groundout. Second baseman Nicholas Pontiff then
collected his first extra-base hit of the year with an opposite field double
down the right field line, scoring Schimpf.
Third baseman J.T. Wise
drove in the third run on an RBI single to left field. Pontiff, the younger
brother of the late Wally Jr., displayed his hustle while diving into home on
the play as Tarnow dropped the ball.
After
collecting five hits in the second and a Jared Mitchell single in the third, the
Tigers did not manage another hit until Dean's blast in the ninth.
Four
UNO relievers handcuffed LSU over the next five frames. The Tigers' next best
chance at scoring came in the eighth via two Privateer errors. With runners at
first and second and nobody out, LSU failed to extend the lead.
LSU starter Matt Jackson exited
after his second inning of work, yielding to fellow true freshman Shane Ardoin.
Ardoin tossed the finest outing of his career, limiting UNO to an unearned run
on one hit while striking out a career-best seven in five innings of work.
"Shane was amazing," said Mainieri.
"That is the thing you enjoy about coaching. You see young men wait their turn,
keep working hard to improve and then they get their opportunity and take
advantage of it. We found out about a kid tonight."
Three consecutive
errors by the Tigers in sixth allowed UNO to cut the deficit to a run at 3-2.
Baxter reached when first baseman Sean Ochinko failed to secure a throw from
catcher Robert Lara. Second baseman Johnny Giavotella took first base when third
baseman J.T. Wise made an errant throw, permitting Baxter to score after he was
stealing third on the play. Hollander committed the third straight error on
another grounder, but Ardoin made a great catch on a pop-up and picked off
Giavotella at second to hold the lead.
"It's unfortunate that the basic
fundamentals of the game lost the game for us really," said Mainieri. "Two
throws to first base we don't handle. If you don't do the little things to win,
you end up losing."
Giavotella atoned for his blunder when he gave the
Privateers a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run double off of
Bertuccini. Reliever Nolan Cain started the inning, allowing a one-out single to
left fielder Joey Butler.
Senior Clay Dirks came in and faced one
batter, walking Baxter before Giavotella drove in the tying and go-ahead runs.