Tigers topple Jaguars

 
Bad defensive play was the story at Alex Box Stadium Tuesday night as Southern fought, but was not able to put it all together in a 15-5 loss to No. 8-ranked LSU.
During the Jaguars’ seven-game losing streak, SU (9-11) struggled to drive home runners in scoring position. On the last day of Southern’s weekend series against Prairie View, they were able to do so, and it carried on to the game against LSU.
It looked like LSU (17-4) was going to run away with the game in the top of the first inning, scoring three runs and taking a 3-0 lead. However, the Jaguars tied the game with three runs in the top of the second.
 Tigers answered back in the bottom of the second, bringing in three runs when Mason Katz hit a double RBI that bounced of the left center wall. The runs gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead.
LSU increased its lead to 8-3 after four innings of play before Cameron McGriff belted a solo home run to left in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Tigers’ lead to 8-4. However, LSU plated seven more runs to close out the game – including an three-run, inside-the-park home run by Tyler Moore in the bottom of the seventh to break the game open.
“The thing that did us in were the plays we did not execute,” head coach Roger Cador said, “There were about five plays I mentioned to the players we did not execute that cost us a minimum of eight runs and when you don’t execute against teams such as LSU this is what’s going to happen they are going to burn you and someone is going to come in with the big hit.”
 
Cador went down the line, explaining miscues from players like DeMario Ellis who in the 8^th inning had three chances to make a play but didn’t execute allowing two balls to pass him, and one where he didn’t cover second base, Taylor Roy had two plays in the out field were he didn’t execute that resulted in 3 runs for LSU.
 
The mistakes made were runs that could have been prevented and could have made the Jaguars more competitive against LSU.
 
“You eliminate those plays you see how difficult it is to beat you,” said Cador
 
Although the Jaguars have lost eight of their last nine games they have shown improvement every week and are looking to perform better in the future.
 
“You know when your team is ready to do something,” said Cador, “the body language speaks louder than the words you can speak and I like what I saw.”
 
The Jaguars will return home this weekend in a weekend series against Selma on March 24^th and 25^th.
 
“We are looking for more execution better pitching and good defense and basically we want those kids to have fun and if we do that I’ll be more than pleased,” said Cador, addressing what he will be looking for from his team this weekend against Selma.