Tigers avoid the sweep with Sunday comeback against Texas A&M

LSU avoided an 0-3 start to SEC play, but the Tigers still have a hole to dig themselves out of.

Happy Mike Day!

Ma’Khail Hilliard got the start on the mound for LSU as the it looked to salvage the first weekend of conference play. After losing the first two games of the series at home, the Tigers managed to avoid the sweep in the opening weekend of conference play with a 7-6 comeback win over Texas A&M.

The Aggies came out swinging in the top of the first inning as they scored two runs off of a couple of RBI singles to take a 2-0 lead. In the top of the fourth inning, A&M added to its lead with a solo home run to make things 3-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Tigers finally got on the board thanks to a Jacob Berry single and a Jordan Thompson sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 3-2 after four innings.

In the top of the fifth inning, Texas A&M hit back-to-back home runs to extend its lead to 5-2 and chase Hilliard from the mound. He finished the game with four innings pitched, 10 hits, five runs, one walk and one strikeout.

Samuel Dutton came in to pitch for Hilliard and Texas A&M wasted no time against him as they scored on an RBI single to make the lead 6-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Cade Doughty hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 6-3.

That was followed by a Dylan Crews fielder’s choice that scored Tre Morgan to make it 6-4 after five innings. In the bottom of the sixth, LSU tied it up after Brayden Jobert and Tre Morgan both got an RBI single.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Tigers loaded the bases and Crews pulled through with an RBI single to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead heading into the ninth inning.

Riley Cooper came in to pitch in the top of the eighth inning, and coach Jay Johnson decided to stick with him for the top of the ninth as well. That decision paid off as Cooper retired the Aggies 1-2-3 to secure the victory over the Aggies and avoid the weekend sweep. Cooper (1-1) picked up his first win on the year.

LSU was led at the plate by Morgan, who went 3 for 5, and Berry, who went 2 for 4. The Tigers will get a shot at some revenge on Louisiana Tech — who won in Ruston earlier this year — on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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