Tigers Season Comes to a Close After Heartbreaking Loss to Southern Miss

After a rollercoaster weekend in Hattiesburg, the Tigers ultimately ran out of luck, falling to Southern Miss Monday evening

The Tigers season came to a close on Monday with a chance to punch their ticket to Super Regionals, falling to Southern Miss 8-7. After dropping a game to the Golden Eagles Sunday, it was a win or go home contest for the two with Southern Miss ultimately coming out on top.

Coming out the gate hot, the Tigers bats were giving Southern Miss all they could handle, pulling out to an early lead through the first few innings, but the Golden Eagles never surrendered. With incredible pitching from their bullpen, the momentum the Tigers had through the first handful of innings slowed down rather quickly.

Heading into the seventh inning, the Tigers held a 4-3 lead before Southern Miss put together a tremendous stretch, scoring four runs in the inning to take a 7-4 lead.

With LSU’s bullpen struggling to hold it together, the Golden Eagles took advantage of a struggling Tigers defense. A few errors occurring in the inning and a hit batter shifted the momentum to Southern Miss.

But the fight of the Tigers never wavered. Heading into the bottom of the seventh, LSU put together another one of their classic late game rallies, just as they had done in their two victories on the weekend.

Scoring two runs on RBI singles from Tre Morgan and Jordan Thompson, the Tigers had Southern Miss on their toes for what looked to be yet another furious comeback by Jay Johnson’s group. Cutting the lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the inning, the tide was turning LSU’s way.

A solo shot from Gavin Dugas ultimately tied the game 7-7 heading into the eighth, but with Southern Miss putting together a string of solid at bats, a sacrifice fly saw them take an 8-7 lead in the top of the ninth, putting things to bed for the Tigers.

LSU’s discombobulated bullpen became one of many reasons the Tigers couldn’t put this one away early. Allowing Southern Miss to stay in the game with a myriad of mistakes, things just couldn’t go LSU’s way. Allowing 17 earned runs and 24 hits in 22 innings pitched, a weak bullpen became the Tigers’ downfall.

“They were infinitely better on the mound than we were,” Jay Johnson said following the Tigers' loss. “We have work to do.”

The Hattiesburg Regional was a rollercoaster ride for LSU fans. With two tremendous come from behind victories against both Kennesaw State and Southern Miss in their first go around, it looked as though LSU may have a chance to be a team of destiny.

With back-to-back losses to Southern Miss both Sunday and Monday, LSU’s season comes to a close after an emotional weekend in Hattiesburg.

Southern Miss now moves on to the Super Regionals where they will face the winner of the Coral Gables Regional in a best-of-three game series starting on Friday.