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Welcome to the rubber match of the weekend’s three game series between the Lousiana State University Tigers and the University of Georgia Bulldogs. I’m Michael Terry and I’ll bringing you today’s live blog from Foley Field. The Tigers won the first game of the series 8-4 on Friday night. The Bulldogs took the second game 10-8 yesterday. For a recap of both games, check below. The weather may be an issue today as rain is expected all afternoon, but there are still a nice number of fans from both teams represented. Per NCAA rules, I’ll be updating once every half-inning.

An audio recap from Sunday’s game: LSU @ UGA -Sunday Recap

Bottom 9th, LSU 7, UGA 5: Lewis begins the inning by striking out looking. Lewis, Perno and fans are vocal about their displeasure. Not often have I seen a college player give the ump as much lip as Lewis did. Perno came out to defend his player and almost got thrown out. Colby May hits a 1-out single over the shortstop’s head to bring the tying run, Hyams, to the plate. After Hyams strikes out on a questionable call, Perno comes out to argue. On his way back the dugout, the third base umpire tosses him–he stays out on the field for his fair share of time and brings Foley to their feet. Michael Demperio, the next batter, hits a dribbler down the third baseline. The LSU thirdbaseman, Tyler Hanover, tries to barehand the ball but bobbles it allowing Demperio to reach safely with 2 outs.

After a mound visit, Zach Cone enters the game to pinch hit for Jonathan Taylor. Cone strikes out on an 3-2 pitch.

That’s the end of the game — LSU wins 7-5. Check back tonight for an audio recap of today’s game.

Top 9th, LSU 7, UGA 5: Ryan Schimpf (2b) started the inning for the Tigers flying out to right field. The next batter, Blake Dean (DH) hits a short blooper to SS Levi Hyams who makes a tough catch for the second out of the inning. LSU first baseman Blake Ochinko grounds out to second base for the final out of the inning. Due up for the Bulldogs in the bottom half of the ninth: Joey Lewis, Colby May, and Levi Hyams. Matt Ott, who has five saves, 36 K’s, and a 2.05 era has been brought in by the Tigers to close the game.

Bottom 8th, LSU 7, UGA 5: Cerione pops out to left field for the first out. Rich Poythress goes down on strikes for the second out. Point of humor: after the strike out, LSU catcher Gibbs went to throw the ball around the infield and overthrew third giving UGA fans something to laugh about until the offense starts performing again. Bryce Massanari muscles one off his hands into right field for a 2-out single. Adam Fuller has been brought in the game to pinch hit for Peter Verdin. Fuller has played in 12 games this season and is batting .333 . After 2 questionable strikes Perno makes a visit to the homeplate umpire. Fuller goes down swining the next pitch. End of inning–we go to the top of the 9th, LSU leading 7-5.

Top 8th, LSU 6, UGA 5: Micah Gibbs (C) draws a five-pitch walk to lead things off.
LSU puts on the hit-and-run—LeMahieu (SS) hits a single into right field with Gibbs advancing to third. Leon Landry (CF) hits a foul pop near 3rd base that Colby May brings in for the out. Pitcher Walters gets Mahtook (RF) to go down swinging for the second out of the inning. Hanover gets one right under the glove of third baseman Colby May to bring in Gibbs for the run. LSU leads 7-5 with runners on first and second.

With two outs, Perno replaces Walters and brings in Dean Weaver. Walters  allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 1 walk. He struck out two. Jared Mitchell this what looks to be a homerun to deep center field, but Matt Cerione robs the homerun at the wall. The fans pay him a nice round of applause has he gets back to the dugout. Cerione will lead off in the bottom of the 8th. At the end of the inning, LSU 7, UGA 6.
Bottom 7th, LSU 6, UGA 5: Georgia starts the inning looking for some offense, but Hyams starts things off with a pop out to the shortstop. Demperio, the next batter, makes solid contact, but right into LSU center fielder Leon Landry. Jonathan Taylor grounds out to first base to end the inning.

Top 7th, LSU 6, UGA 5: First batter, Jared Mitchell (LF) hits one right back up the middle and off Earls’ glove, but shortstop Levi Hyams is able to field the ball and make the throw to first for the first out of the inning. Ryan Schimpf (2b) pops out to second base for the second out. With a full count, LSU batter Blake Dean (DH) gets plunked by a wild curveball.

Perno visits the mound and signals for Jeff Walters to enter the game. Walters is 2-0 with a 4.76 era in 11 appearances. Om a full count, Walters strikes out Sean Ochinko (1b) for the third out. Despite the strikeout, UGA fans are still less than pleased with the strike zone.

Bottom 6th, LSU 6, UGA 5: Coleman (SP) get’s his 6th and 7th K’s by striking out Bryce Massanari and Peter Verdin. Verdin entered the game as a pinch hitter for Chase Davidson. Joey Lewis hits a rope into right field for a two-out single. Colby May lines out to second to end the inning. We’ll got to the top of the 7th. Georgia will be bringing in LHP Justin Earls to pitch. Earls has had 14 prior appearances and is sporting an 11.68 era.
Top 6th, LSU 4, UGA 5: Micah Gibbs flies out to CF for the first out. The next batter, D.J. LeMahieu hits a routine pop fly to right field, but Chase Davidson drops the ball allowing LeMahieu to advance to second. On the next play, Landry pops out to right field—Davidson is charging and comes up a second late of throwing out a tagging LeMahieu at third base. With two outs and a full count, Mikie Mahtook send at two-run shot into the parking lot putting the Tigers back up on top, 6-5. Harvil gets Hanover looking to end the inning. LSU 6, UGA 5.

Bottom 5th, LSU 4, UGA 2: The inning starts on a positive note for the Dogs when Colby May doubles into left field. Levi Hyams hits a ground ball to the deep part of the infield on the left side, and LSU SS DJ LeMahieu can’t get Hyams at first. LSU coach Paul Mainieri protests, but the play stands as called. After a long at-bat which included several pick-off attempts, Demperio hits a groundball to Hanover (3b) who goes home to record the first out. Jonathan pops out to shallow CF for the second out which forces the runners on first and second to stay put. With two outs, Matt Cerione brings the house to their feet with a three-run opposite field homer that puts Georgia in the lead 5-4. On the next pitch, LSU’s pitcher, Coleman, throws high and in, but is quick to signal that it was his fault and was unintentional. Good act of sportmanship by LSU. On the next pitch, Poythress pops out to end the inning.

Rain looks like it may hold off for a little longer as it has literally parted around Athens.

Top 5th, LSU 4, UGA 2: Schimpf (2b) grounds out to Demperio for the first out of the inning. Blake Dean hits a line drive up the middle but Demperio, again, is involved by making a diving grab to keep the bases empty. Next batter, Sean Ochinko draws the 3-2 walk which prompts Dave Perno to call for a pitching change. Will Harvil. Harvil is 2-0 this season with a 2.45 era. Grimm ended the day allowing 4 earned runs, 4 hits, 4 walks, and 3 K’s. Harvil begins his appearance by picking off Ochinko at first to end the inning.

At the beginning of the inning, an LSU fan was escorted out by UGAPD. At first, the officer just appeared to be telling the fan to quiet down (he had been yelling very loudly and, in my opinion, obnoxiously, the entire game), but the fan talked back to the cop and was asked to leave. On his way out, he had a few confrontations with UGA fans, one of which became physical. Both the UGA and LSU fan were escorted out by UGAPD.

Bottom 4th, LSU 4, UGA 2: Louis Coleman starts the bottom of the 4th with two strike outs. Joey Lewis lines out to CF for the third out of the inning.

Top 4th, LSU 1, UGA 2: Sean Ochinko hits a line drive into right field—Chae Davidson misreads the ball, but recovers to make a diving catch for the first out. Next batter for LSU, Gibbs (C), grounds out to first base. With two outs, Grimm plunks LeMahieu (SS) who follows by stealing second on the next pitch. Leon Landry (CF) hits a line drive just inside 3rd base that roles all the way to the wall after Jonathan Taylor misplays it in left field. LeMahieu comes around to score and Landry ends up on third with a double and E7. Mike Mahtook walks on a full count to put LSU runners on first and second. Tyler Hanover hits a double down the third base line identical to Landry’s that brings two around to score to give LSU a 4-2 lead. Grimm finally ends the inning by striking out Jared Mitchell.

Bottom 3rd, LSU 1, UGA 2: Georgia second baseman Michael Demperio hits a deep ground ball to the short stop but is called out at first base on a very close play. Perno shoots out of the dugout to argue the call. He knows the call isn’t going to get reversed, but he’s trying to pump some energy into his team and these fans. Jonathan Taylor strikes out on a pitch in the dirt and is thrown out at first base. Cerione follows with a routine hit to center field but turns it into a “hustle double” to put Georgia in scoring position, but Poythress grounds out to first base.

Top 3rd, LSU 1, UGA 2: Jared Mitchell draws the walk and gets on base for the second time today. Schimpf (2b) grounds into a 4-6-3 double play. Dean (DH) ends the inning with a strike out. Michael Demperio will lead of for Georgia in the bottom of the 3rd.

Bottom 2nd, LSU 1, UGA 2: Joey Lewis hits a drive to deep center field, but Leon Landry (CF) tracks it down to record the first out of the inning. Colby May strikes out swinging for the second out of the inning. Levi Hyams hits a bloop out to left field to end the second. Still no rain, but clouds are starting to close in.

Top 2nd, LSU 1, UGA 2: Leon Landry (CF) starts the inning by flying out to UGA’s Jonathan Taylor in left field. Mikie Mahtook (RF) pops to right field for the second out. Tyler Hanover (3b) hits a dribbler to SP Justin Grimm to end the inning. It’s a quick 1-2-3 inning. The rain looks to be moving in pretty quickly. Four and ½ innings (if UGA keeps the lead, five if it is a tie of LSU is winning) must be completed for the game to be considered official.

Bottom 1st, LSU 1, UGA 0: Jonathan Taylor grounds out to the shortstop to begin the inning. Matt Cerione follows by drawing the walk. Rich Poythress hits a strike just inside third base that ends up in the left field corner. Cerione comes all they way around from first to tie the game. Poythress, however, over runs second base and a heads up LSU catcher, Micah Gibbs, throws a strike across the diamond to get the second out of the inning. Bryce Massanari follows by hitting his fourth home run in as many at-bats to put Georgia on top, 2-1. Chase Davidson goes down swinging to end the inning. At the end of the inning, LSU 1, UGA 2.

Top 1st, LSU 0, UGA 0: The game is set to begin–Justin Grimm (2-1, 4.11 ERA, 36 K) has taken the mound for UGA. Jared Mitchell (LF) start things off for LSU with a single into left field after three straight balls. On a full count, Ryan Schimpf (2b) draws the walk. Fans are becoming very frustrated with the size of the strike zone. After the walk, head coach Dave Perno comes out to talk to UGA pitcher Justin Grimm, and has a long, and probably very “pleasant” conversation with the home plate umpire on his walk back to the dugout. Grimm rebounds after a 3-0 start to get LSU’s Blake Dean (DH) looking for the first out of the inning. Sean Ochinko loads the bases with a 2-1 one line drive into left field. Micah Gibbs hits a sacrifice fly to left field allowing Jared Mitchell to score from third. The UGA infield falls asleep after the play leaving no one covering third and a heads up Ryan Schimpf takes third. DJ LeMahieu (SS) ground into a 6-3 to end the inning. At the end of the inning, LSU 1, UGA 0.
-MT

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