Alabama Baseball Falls, 8-5, to No. 3 LSU in the Longest Game in Crimson Tide History
Alabama baseball fell, 8-5, to third-ranked LSU in a 5:25 game, the longest recorded time for a contest in Crimson Tide baseball history. The two teams went to extras and matched innings twice before a three-run 16th inning proved to be the difference. With the loss, Alabama now sits at 15-13 overall and 4-6 in conference play.
“I told the guys I’m proud of the way that they played,” said Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard. “They played their tails off all night, but that’s baseball. There were a few inches here and there on both sides that could have decided the game, but I felt like both teams competed like crazy and night. It’s one of those games you hate to lose.”
Mikey White knocked a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the first to kick off the scoring in the game and give Alabama an early 1-0 lead. Both teams would post zeroes on the board until the ninth, as the two starters dueled all night.
The two teams used a combined 14 pitchers, with each side tossing seven arms apiece. Crimson Tide starter Taylor Guilbeau gave Alabama another solid outing, going 8.0+ innings and allowing just two runs on five hits and three walks. Guilbeau also collected five strikeouts across the 31 batters faced. LSU countered Guilbeau’s effort, with Tiger starter Jared Poche’ going 8.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits. Both starters, however, would not factor into the decision, as a wild ninth-inning sent the game into extras.
LSU led off the ninth with a double followed by a single to end Guilbeau’s evening. With two in scoring position and none down, Alabama turned to the bullpen, but a single to right by the Tiger catcher tied the game up. One batter later, a sacrifice fly to left plated the go-ahead run for LSU.
Down one in the bottom of the ninth, the Tide rallied off LSU’s closer. Georgie Salem led off the inning with a triple to right and then a Mikey White sac fly to the outfield brought Salem across to even the score and send the contest into extras.
Both teams were blanked in the 10th, but the 11th inning produced four total runs. With a man on, LSU’s third baseman homered to center field to put the Tigers ahead going into the Tide’s half of the inning, but Alabama would counter with a pair of its own. With bases loaded, Kyle Overstreet worked a walk to bring in one for Alabama. In the very next at-bat, a balk by the LSU reliever brought across the tying run to extend the game.
The 12th produced no runs for either team, but each team would add one more run apiece to the game’s total in the 13th. The Tigers knocked a one-out single, and then a double down the line brought across the go-ahead run. Alabama countered in the home half when Overstreet singled up the middle with two on to knot things up again.
In the 14th and 15th innings, both squads had baserunners but could not produce any runs to send it to the 16th still tied up at 5-5. LSU led off the 16th with a walk and then a stolen base. With a man at second, the Tigers bunted him over to third and forced an intentional walk of the next LSU hitter. With runners on the corners and one down, LSU knocked a triple that snuck under Chandler Avant’s glove to give the Tigers a two-run advantage. The next batter claimed the second sac fly of the night for LSU to push them ahead by three.
Alabama did not lay down in the final inning, using a one-out hit-by-pitch and a two-out single by Chance Vincent to bring the tying run to the dish. The Tide would fall just short, as an infield grounder proved to be the final out of the marathon game.
“We made some great plays, but you have to tip your hat to them; they made some plays when they needed to,” Gaspard added. “It was back and forth for both teams, but I was proud of the way our guys stuck with it all night.”
Tonight’s contest was the longest recorded time of game in Alabama history, eclipsing the previous high of 4:55 vs. LSU on April 20, 2013. In that game, the Crimson Tide fell, 11-8 in 16 innings. The Crimson Tide’s top-three longest games in its history are now all against LSU (also, 4:30 vs. LSU on April 3, 2005 – W, 5-4 in 13 innings).
The 16 frames tonight also tied an all-time high for UA. Alabama has twice played in 16-inning games, with the first coming in a 2-2 tie vs. Vanderbilt in 1893, and the most recent one being the 2013 contest with LSU.
Alabama and LSU will meet for the second game of the series tomorrow afternoon with a 3 p.m. start time on the SECN+. The game was moved up from its original start time of 7 p.m. due to the threat of severe weather in the evening. Alabama will toss junior righty Will Carter, while LSU will counter with freshman Alex Lange.
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