New Orleans – LSU was hoping to clinch an SEC tournament berth, and get a win at Texas A&M. The Tigers got neither.
WIll Frizzell’s solo homer in the 8th won it for the Aggies 2-1 Thursday night at Blue Bell Park in College Station.
LSU lost two starters in the game, including leftfielder Gavin Dugas, who was injured in a 5th inning collision with centerfielder Drew Bianco.
Here’s a complete wrap up.
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – First baseman Will Frizzell launched a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday night to lift Texas A&M to a 2-1 win over LSU at Blue Bell Park.
The Aggies improved to 29-25 overall, 9-19 in the SEC, while LSU dropped to 32-21 overall and 11-17 in conference play.
Game 2 of the series is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Friday. The contest will be streamed on SEC Network +, and it can be heard on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network.
Frizzell led off the eighth inning with his 19th homer of the season, breaking a 1-1 tie.
Texas A&M closer Chandler Jozwiak retired LSU in order in the top of the ninth to earn his eighth save of the season.
Texas A&M starter Dustin Saenz (6-6) recorded the win, as he limited the Tigers to one run on two hits in eight innings with two walks and eight strikeouts.
LSU reliever Javen Coleman (2-1) was charged with the loss after allowing just the Frizzell home run in four innings of work. Coleman gave up one run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Right-hander Landon Marceaux pitched the first four innings for the Tigers, surrendering just one unearned run on three hits with three walks and one strikeout.
“Landon told me that his arm felt fine, but his body was fatigued, and he just didn’t have any energy,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I was very concerned about him injuring his arm because he was laboring, so I felt the best thing to do was to take him out of the game. His arm was fine; he just didn’t feel like himself tonight.”
The Aggies took a 1-0 lead in the third when shortstop Kalae Harrison doubled and scored when centerfielder Ray Alejo’s bunt was misplayed by the LSU infield for an error.
The Tigers tied the game in the sixth on a solo homer by rightfielder Dylan Crews, his 13th dinger of the season.
In addition to Marceaux’s fatigue, LSU suffered a number of injuries prior to and during the game.
Outfielder Mitchell Sanford sustained a pulled groin during pregame warm-ups; starting centerfielder Giovanni DiGiacomo left the game in the third inning after straining a hamstring; and starting leftfielder Gavin Dugas was taken out of the contest in the fifth inning after a collision in the outfield that caused a rib injury.
“We didn’t have many options tonight because of the injuries,” Mainieri said. “We battled as hard as we could, but we couldn’t get enough hitting tonight, obviously.”
Here’s Paul Mainieri’s post game interview with media.