Dylan Crews, Tommy White go deep as LSU holds off Alabama in first game of series

Dylan Crews’ three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning seemed to deplete every bit of confidence Alabama right-hander Hagan Banks had in his second start of the season.

Banks, tasked with the start after regular Alabama starter Luke Holman was scratched because of back tightness, struck Crews out in the first inning, but the LSU slugger ensured Banks’ evening ended on a sour note.

Banks yielded four runs in his three-inning stint, and LSU built an 8-1 lead before holding on for dear life in an 8-6 victory Friday against Alabama at Alex Box Stadium.

The Crimson Tide (30-13, 9-10 Southeastern Conference) entered the matchup missing two starting pitchers already — left-hander Grayson Hitt and right-hander Ben Hess, who have made a combined 15 starts and worked 75 innings this season. Banks, while a strong reliever, had made just one start against Florida on March 16, tallying the win after allowing no earned runs on one hit through 3⅓ innings.

While Banks allowed just three hits to LSU, two of them traveled a long way. Tommy White, who returned to the lineup after a minor injury, hammered the third pitch he saw from Banks for a solo home run and 1-0 LSU lead in the second. Crews’ blast in the third was with two outs.

The Tigers (33-8, 13-5 SEC) put up four more runs against three Alabama relievers, scoring their last run on Alex Milazzo’s sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the seventh for an 8-1 edge.

On the flip side, LSU right-hander Paul Skenes gave up one earned run on five hits while striking out nine through six innings. He didn’t walk a single batter.

The Tigers added three more runs in the sixth with the benefit of just one hit. Cade Beloso walked, Jordan Thompson doubled and Milazzo walked to the load the bases. Alabama then went to its third pitcher, Aidan Moza, to try to get the Tide out of trouble with two outs.

Instead, he hit Gavin Dugas with a pitch, then walked both Tre’ Morgan and Crews to put LSU ahead 7-1. The Tigers added an eighth run in the seventh.

The Crimson Tide shaved one run off of its deficit in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Dominic Tamez, but LSU left-hander Griffin Herring struck out Shelton to retire the side.

Herring, who handled the seventh and eighth innings, struggled in the top of the ninth. He struck out pinch hitter Will Hodo before walking the next two batters. After another Herring strikeout, Tommy Seidl roped an RBI double down the right-field line. Andrew Pinckney — who finished 5 for 5, including a solo home run off of Skenes — drove in two more runs when he singled to center field.  

Bryce Collins came on in relief of Herring, who threw 72 pitches in 2⅔ innings, and promptly gave up an RBI single as the Tide cut LSU’s lead to 8-6. With the winning run at the plate, Collins struck out Shelton to end the game.