LSU Tigers Suffer Heartbreaking 13-12 Loss To Vanderbilt Commodores In SEC Opener

It was a wild start to SEC play for the LSU Tigers, as they ended up falling 13-12 to the Vanderbilt Commodores on a walk-off home run in Nashville. The Tigers now fall to 13-6 on the year and 0-1 in conference play. 

This was an incredibly weird game that saw LSU go down 10-4 at one point, only to score eight unearned runs to go up 12-10. The last three runs, including the tying and go-ahead runs, were all scored off three separate wild pitches, which feels like it's the first time it has happened.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, the Commodores hit two singles, advanced runners on a wild pitch to set up a sac fly. They then hit a game-winning two-run shot with two outs.

This was another case of a couple on the season where the Tigers' offense and pitching cannot stay on the same page. If one is doing well, the other struggles. Not a lot of complimentary baseball so far.

The Tigers have been supportive of Casan Evans through his rough start to the year, mostly attributing it to bad luck, but yet another poor start has to raise at least some worries.

Evans went three innings and gave up five hits on six runs. He's been very boom-or-bust all year long with little consistency. He picked up five strikeouts, but walked five as well, which really did him in. His ERA is up to 6.45 on the year.

It took LSU four pitchers to get through the fourth inning alone, which saw Vanderbilt plate five. Cooper Williams walked five straight batters and Jaden Noot allowed three of the five batters he saw to reach base. Zac Cowan closed that inning out and then continued with a great outing that allowed the Tigers to get back into the game.

Cowan ended up going 3.1 with just one hit and five strikeouts. Gavin Guidry went three-up, three-down in the eighth, but ended up picking up a loss on the home run.

On offense, it was the players that the Tigers have needed to rely on who came through. The top five batters each reached base at least three times, even Zach Yorke, who didn't get a hit but drew three walks.

Jake Brown picked up his 11th home run of the year already, and Chris Stanfield went 2-for-4 with a walk in his first game back in the starting lineup.

There were some good things for LSU to focus on, but not enough to pick up a win. They will look to avoid the series loss on Saturday at 7:00 pm CT.