Hayden Travinski didn’t need to watch the ball soar over the stands in left field. He simply dropped his bat and gestured his hands to bring energy from the dugout.
For the second time in a week, Travinski’s power had flipped a game’s script. His three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning turned a two-run deficit into a one-run lead and propelled the Tigers to a 12-8 win over Alabama on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.
LSU (34-8, 14-5) used eight pitchers to navigate nine innings, but their effort was rewarded when the Tigers scored seven runs in their final three innings to help overcome an early 6-1 deficit. LSU will try for the sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday.
After giving up three earned runs through 8⅓ innings last week against Ole Miss, LSU right-hander Ty Floyd struggled Saturday against Alabama.
He gave up two runs in the first — a home run by leadoff batter Jim Jarvis and an RBI double by Dominic Tamez — but limited the damage by retiring the final two batters.
He rebounded by shutting out the Tide (30-14, 9-11 Southeastern Conference) in the second on 13 pitches, but the third inning unraveled on him.
Floyd retired the first two batters he faced, but the trouble began after Floyd walked Tamez and Colby Shelton to set up Caden Rose’s RBI double. A wild pitch scored the second run, and Ed Johnson’s single drove in two more turns to give the Tide a 6-1 edge. After Floyd gave up another hit, Sam Dutton began the parade of LSU relievers and got out of the inning.
LSU wasted no time fighting back. Tommy White’s three-run home run in the bottom of the frame cut the deficit to 6-4. White finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs.
The Tide responded with one run in the top of the fourth on Andrew Pinckney’s solo home run of Dutton to make it 7-4. Pinckney is now 7 for 10 with four RBIs in two games against LSU.
Left-hander Javen Coleman made his third appearance of the season for LSU and was effective, striking out six through 2⅓ innings to shut out the Tide and get the Tigers into the bottom of the sixth down by three.
Cade Beloso’s fielder’s choice scored Dylan Crews from third in the bottom of the sixth to narrow the deficit to 7-5. On batter later, Travinski went deep off of reliever Alton Davis to give the Tigers the lead for good.
Blake Money kept the momentum on LSU’s side, setting the Tide down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.
Beloso’s sacrifice bunt in the seventh plated an insurance run to make it 9-7.
The Tigers turned to four relievers in the eighth inning to hold Alabama to one run. Left-hander Nate Ackenhausen, right-hander Gavin Guidry, left-hander Riley Cooper and right-hander Thatcher Hurd covered the three outs, with Hurd retiring the last two hitters.
The relievers combined for 6⅓ innings while allowing two earned runs on just three hits.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jared Jones hit a two-run home run and Crews drove in another one to build a 12-8 advantage.
Hurd retired all five batters he faced to close out the game.
There was some drama in the bottom of the second inning when LSU scored its first run. Alabama coach Brad Bohannon was ejected for arguing a call that a foul ball hit by Jordan Thompson contacted the net before the Alabama catcher, Tamez, caught it. A review confirmed the call, and Bohannon emerged from the dugout yelling at the umpire, and he was tossed for arguing after a review.
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