Once the Bears settled on a calm approach, the change proved decisive.
Trailing 4-3 in the top of the sixth inning, Ricky Martinez lifted a two-run bomb to give Baylor a 5-4 lead as it came from behind to down the LSU Tigers, 6-4 in a nail biter in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College baseball Classic on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
Martinez hit a seventh-inning two-run bomb to left field to give the Bears (7-3) its first lead of the game, 5-4. The Bears would later hang on for the victory.
“They settled in and started making some good swings on pitches,” Bear’s coach Steve Rodriguez said. “Some balls were going out for us at some key times.”
It followed sophomore first baseman’s solo shot over the left-field wall, which pulled the Bears within one point, 4-3. The homer came on the first pitch from Tigers reliever Nick Storz.
Later in the same inning, right fielder Mack Mueller’s RBI bloop single scored Loftin to give Baylor an insurance run, 6-4.
The Tigers (7-4) watched a golden opportunity slip away in the top of the ninth. Center fielder Giovanni DiGiacomo led off with a single. Then, what looked like a routine double play, turned disastrous for the Bears when freshman Wes Toups grounded a ball to second baseman Martinez. Martinez threw the ball to the shortstop Loftin off-target, pulling him away from second base, and his throw to first base arrived late, putting Giovanni on first base. Officials ruled the play, E4, and a fielder’s choice.
Tigers shortstop Collier Cranford’s sac bunt moved both runners into scoring position at second and third base. However, heart-pumping fashion, reliever Luke Boyd, which entered the game in the top of the ninth inning, froze Zack Mathis on a called strike three and fanned Alex Milazzo to end the game.
“We felt great about ourselves during the day,” said LSU’s coach Paul Mainieri. “Right now, we feel awful about going to the hotel. That’s the way baseball is. Tomorrow is a new day, we’ll come out and put up a great effort and try to find a way to win a ball game, and we can go home feeling like we accomplished something.”
Reliever Ryan Leckick (1-0) earned the win for the Bears in one inning of work. Boyd picked up the save, his fourth of the season.
The Tigers were attempting to follow one great victory with another after taking a 4-3 come back win over the Longhorns on the opening day of classic.
“Each day is a new day,” Tigers coach Mainieri spoke. “Just like the win last night (against Texas) didn’t carry into today.”
Tigers Brandon Kaminer fell to (1-1) while taking the loss. He surrendered three hits, an unearned run on two hits.
For most of the game, Baylor trailed and found its self running out of innings before Loftin stroked a two-run homer off starting pitcher Landon Marceaux, slicing the lead in half, 4-2. The Bears continued to take advantage of LSU’s bullpen.
“So as soon as they calmed down their anxiousness, they were ready,” Baylor’s coach Steve Rodriguez explained. “They, (Baylor players) settled in and started making some good swings on pitches.”
Right-hander Marceaux lasted six innings allowed two runs on five hits before Storz entered the game,
Both teams played great defense, but LSU’s timely hitting afforded it an early 4-0 lead.
Right fielder Daniel Cabrera laced a clean single to center. A batter later, freshman second baseman Cade Doughty’s RBI double to the wall in left field gave the Tigers it’s first run of the game in the second inning.
While Marceaux, who fanned six, continued to pitch well, Milazzo brought the crowd of purple and yellow to its feet after shelling a ball in the seats in left field to increase the score, 2-0.
Designated hitter Saul Garza connected on 2-2 pitch to record his third homer of the season, a two-run shot to left field, and that would finalize LSU’s point total.