The new Alex Box Stadium is less than a year old, but the ball park has already witnessed a pitching performance for the ages. Sophomore right-hander Anthony Ranaudo struck out 14, gave up just three hits, and allowed only one earned run in nine pressure filled innings as the LSU Tigers nipped Baylor 3-2 in 10 innings.
LSU Coach Paul Mainieri said it was one of the greatest performances he's ever seen and Baylor Coach Steve Smith called Ranaudo a stallion. But Ranaudo was much more humble. The New Jersey native was just glad the Tigers got a victory.
"The atmosphere was awesome," Ranaudo said. "The way the team backed me up when I needed it today. It gave us a lot of momentum going into Sunday and hopefully the rest of the postseason."
While Ranaduo was magnificent, the offense struggled to put runs on the board. The Tigers left 14 runners on base, and once again a left-hander kept LSU hitters off balance. Baylor starter Shawn Tolleson gave up two runs and was removed after 4 innings. Tolleson gave way to left-hander Aaaron Miller, who scattered 3 hits in 3.1 innings. Miller's pitching performance allowed Baylor to tie the game at two a piece, with single runs in the 6th and 8th innings.
LSU finally got the clutch hit it was looking for in the 10th inning. Austin Nola singled past a diving second baseman to score Jared Mitchell with the go-ahead run. Mitchell was the offensive star for LSU. The New Iberia native homered in the 2nd inning to get the Tigers on the board. Then in the 10th, Mitchell drew a walk, stole 2nd and scored on Nola's single.
LSU is now one win away from advancing to the Super Regionals. Louis Coleman will get the start against the winner of this afternoon's Minnesota-Baylor match-up. Coleman will have a tough act to follow. Ranaudo's 130-pitch performance will be talked about for a long time.
UPSET IN RICE REGIONAL
The winner of the Baton Rouge Regional will face the winner of the Rice regional next weekend. Most our expecting a match-up between LSU and Rice, but the Owls were beaten last night. Kansas State, who is making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, held off the Owls 7-6. Big 12 Pitcher of the Year A.J. Morris improved his record to 14-1 after going the distance and allowing four earned runs, scattering 13 hits, and striking out just two.
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