SEC TOURNAMENT

Tigers rally in 9th; Razorbacks await

LSU's Ryan Eades delivers in the first inning during a Southeastern Conference tournament college baseball game against Alabama, Friday, May 24, 2013, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/AL.com, Vasha Hunt)
LSU's Ryan Eades delivers in the first inning during a Southeastern Conference tournament college baseball game against Alabama, Friday, May 24, 2013, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/AL.com, Vasha Hunt)

HOOVER, Ala. - LSU is getting another shot at Arkansas.

The No. 2 Tigers earned an SEC Tournament rematch with the Razorbacks in the semifinals at noon today by rallying to beat Alabama 3-2 in an elimination game Friday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Arkansas beat LSU 4-1 on Thursday night and was off Friday.

“We’re very excited to play Arkansas again,” Tigers first baseman Tyler Moore said. “We’re ready to get back at them.”

LSU and No. 14 Arkansas are 2-2 against each other after the Tigers took 2 of 3 games in Fayetteville during the regular season.

“It’s the rubber match, so it’s for the season win,” LSU catcher Ty Ross said. “We’re definitely ready to get out there and compete and battle those guys.”

Moore and Ross, the Nos. 7 and 8 hitters in LSU’s lineup, made sure the Tigers (50-9) got to play Arkansas today by driving in the tying and winning runs in the top of the ninth inning against Alabama starter Mike Oczypok, a freshman walk-on who threw 120 pitches in 8 2/3 innings.

Oczypok was within a strikeout of a complete-game victory when Moore hit a 3-2 pitch into the right-center field gap to score Jared Foster from first and tie the game 2-2.

“We finally got to him at the end, and that’s what matters,” Moore said. “I fouled off some OK pitches, then he gave me a pretty good pitch to hit. I swung hard and found a gap.

“Those are the moments you live for. As a little kid, you’re thinking about that when you’re older you’re going to be in that spot and come up big.”

Ross came up big, too, with single to left field to score Moore and put the Tigers ahead 3-2.

“Their offense is so good one through nine,” Alabama Coach Mitch Gaspard said. “It can explode at any time.”

LSU closer Chris Cotton struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth for his 14th save after starter Ryan Eades held Alabama (34-26) to 4 hits and 2 runs over 7 innings. Nate Fury pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Tigers.

LSU Coach Paul Mainieri said while it would have been nice to be off Friday, a come from-behind victory was better.

“I’m kind of glad we played today the way it turned out,” Mainieri said. “I think it was a great emotional boost for our team and is going to give us a lot of confidence going forward.”

Maineri said he isn’t sure who will be LSU’s starting pitcher today against Arkansas left-hander Randall Fant (5-1, 2.08 ERA), but that the likely options are right-hander Hunter Newman (2-0, 2.18 ERA in 20 2/3 innings) or left hander Brent Bonvillain (2-0, 2.97 ERA in 36 1/3 innings).

“Obviously, they’ve got the advantage because they’ve had a day off and they’re notas deep into their pitching staff as we are,” Mainieri said. “But I remember back in 2009 we lost the first game of this tournament and we ended up pitching some guys that hadn’t pitched that much, and we won the championship and gave our kids a memory that they’ll never forget.

“So maybe history will repeat itself.”

VANDERBILT 3, TEXAS A&M 0

Tyler Beede allowed two hits in 7 1/3 innings and top-seeded Vanderbilt advanced to the semifinals with a victory over ninth-seeded Texas A&M in an elimination game.

The Commodores (50-8), who lost their tournament opener to the Aggies 5-0, will face Mississippi State today for a chance to advance to the championship game Sunday.

Beede (14-0) struck out eight and walked four for Vanderbilt, which outhit Texas A&M (32-27) 14-2. Brian Miller recorded the final five outs without allowing a hit for his 15th save of the season.

Tony Kemp was 3 for 5 with 2 stolen bases while five Vanderbilt players had two hits. Xavier Turner’s double was the Commodores’ only extra-base hit.

Vanderbilt scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to take control. Kemp singled up the middle to open the inning and came home on Turner’s double to left-center field. Turner moved to third on a bunt single by Mike Yastremski and scored on a sacrifice fly by Connor Harrell.

The Commodores added their final run in the top of the fifth inning. Harrell reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single by Rhett Wiseman.

Chance Bolcerek had a hit and a walk for Texas A&M, and Troy Stein had a double.

Starter Grayson Long (4-2) took the loss for Texas A&M. Long gave up 2 runs, both earned, on 7 hits in 2 1/3 innings. Matt Kent, the second of five pitchers used by A&M, gave up Vanderbilt’s other run.

Sports, Pages 21 on 05/25/2013

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