Tigers take down Kentucky in late-night SEC Tournament opener after numerous delays

The Tigers are moving on to the winner’s bracket after comfortably handling Kentucky despite a shaky start

After a long hiatus due to a first-round bye and a plethora of rain, the LSU Tigers finally got to take the field at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and play in their first game in the SEC Tournament on Thursday night.

LSU got to skip the single-elimination round as it entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed. That meant that the Tigers would play the winner of No. 5 Auburn and No. 12 Kentucky.

Coming into the week, no No. 12 seed had ever won a game in the SEC tournament, but the Wildcats beat AU to set up a second-round matchup against LSU to begin double-elimination play. Their luck ran out on Thursday night, as LSU advanced into the winner’s bracket with an 11-6 victory.

It will face top-seeded Tennessee on Friday night in the third round in what will be the first matchup against the Volunteers this season.

[autotag]Ma’Khail Hilliard[/autotag] got the start on the mound for the Tigers, and Kentucky jumped on him in the top of the second inning with a two-run homer to take an early lead. But in the bottom of the third, LSU got those runs back, plus one.

With bases loaded, [autotag]Tre’ Morgan[/autotag] grounded out to the pitcher, but [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] was able to score. That was followed by the red hot [autotag]Tyler McManus[/autotag] hitting a two-RBI double to put LSU on top 3-2.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Tigers put up three more runs to extend their lead to 6-2. Crews singled to center field to bring home [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag], [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] singled to bring home [autotag]Drew Bianco[/autotag], and Crews scored on an insane play at the plate where he dodged the catcher’s tag and eventually led to Kentucky’s head coach getting thrown out when the run was confirmed after video review.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the bases were loaded for Thompson, and he came through with a single to clear the bases and make it 8-2 Tigers. McManus then got his third hit of the night as he singled to bring Pearson home and make it 9-2 LSU.

Hilliard’s day was finished as the Tigers entered the top of the seventh inning with [autotag]Devin Fontenot[/autotag] on the mound. For Fontenot, it was his 111th career appearance, which broke the record for most career appearances. Hilliard’s final line was six innings pitched allowing two runs on four hits, two walks and six strikeouts.

Kentucky scored a run on Fontenot to cut the lead to 9-3 as we went to the bottom of the seventh. Pearson became the first LSU player with five hits in an SEC Tournament game as he launched a two-run moonshot to right field to make it 11-3.

And oh yeah, he’s just a freshman.

In the top of the eighth inning, Kentucky hit a three-run homer to cut the lead to 11-6 and bring [autotag]Grant Taylor[/autotag] out of the bullpen. After retiring the first batter he faced for out number three, Taylor stayed on the mound for the ninth.

After walking the first batter of the ninth, Taylor was replaced by [autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag], who was greeted with a single. Cooper retired the rest of the Wildcats, and the Tigers won 11-6.

With the victory, LSU will play in the winner’s bracket against No. 1 Tennessee on Friday night in the late game. That start time is TBD, but at least the forecast shows no sign of rain — for now.

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