LSU falls to Florida in extra innings, 6-4
BATON ROUGE, La. – Florida first baseman Jac Caglianone’s two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning Saturday night lifted the sixth-ranked Gators to a 6-4 win over No. 4 LSU in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
The game was played before a paid crowd of 12,892, the second-highest attendance figure in LSU Baseball history.
Florida improved to 13-9 overall, 3-2 in the SEC, while LSU dropped to 19-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
The teams meet in the series finale at 2 p.m. CT Sunday in a game that will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and televised on the SEC Network.
Florida reliever Ryan Slater (2-0) earned the win, pitching two scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and two strikeouts.
LSU reliever Nate Ackenhausen (2-2) was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in 3.2 innings with three walks and six strikeouts.
Florida trailed, 4-2, entering the eighth inning, but the Gators scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, setting the stage for Caglianone’s home run, his 10th of the season, in the 11th.
“It was a good college baseball game, you have to tip your hat to Florida,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “Tomorrow’s another opportunity for us to show how much we’ve grown as a team. This is a tough loss, we’re going to have to bounce back and get ready to go. I have no doubt our team will be ready to do that.”
LSU took a 1-0 lead in the third when centerfielder Jake Brown singled, moved to third on a single by leftfielder Mac Bingham, and score on a throwing error.
The Gators responded with two runs in the top of the fourth as third baseman Dale Thomas’ RBI single highlighted the rally.
The Tigers tied the game in the fourth on a solo shot by designated hitter Hayden Travinski, his sixth homer of year.
Solo homers by Bingham and by first baseman Jared Jones gave LSU a 4-2 advantage in the fifth.
Florida rightfielder Ty Evans doubled to lead off the eighth and later scored on a wild pitch to narrow the gap to 4-3, and he lined an RBI single in the ninth to knot the game at 4-4.
Evans’ one-out single in the 11th preceded the Caglianone homer that gave the Gators a 6-4 cushion.
LSU press release.
