LSU Tigers Pitching Saves Season In 6-2 Win Over Oklahoma Sooners
With Grant Fontenot thrust into a sudden start after a pregame injury to their ace, the LSU Tigers' arms delivered a gritty performance to keep their postseason hopes alive in Hoover with a 6-2 win over the Oklahoma Sooners.
In a night where the LSU Tigers needed their pitching to show up more than ever, their arms battled adversity and delivered in a 6-2 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. If the Tigers have any hope of making the NCAA tourney, they must go through this whole single elimination bracket to win the conference. They've had a massively disappointing season, but they looked like themselves on Tuesday night.
It all started with a shock right before the game when projected starter and staff ace William Schmidt told Jay Johnson that he couldn't pitch. It appears to have been back spasms that popped up and kept him off the mound. With just about 30 minutes before the game, Grant Fontenot learned that he would start.
That is not an easy mental adjustment to make, especially someone who has had an up-and-down year. Fontenot answered the call and put up a fairly clean 2. 1 innings of work with three hits, a walk, a strikeout and a run allowed.
It wasn't perfect, but it was as good as the team could have hoped to get in the situation. Gavin Guidry has had a tumultuous season, but has been known to show up in big moments throughout his career. He delivered one of his best performances of the season.