Tigers sloppy in defeat

• By CARL DUBOIS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Mar 10, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Before the weekend, LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri said he thought he knew the best combination of players on his roster. After a three-game series with Stetson, some of their struggles reminded him it’s an ongoing process.

Stetson ended LSU’s nine-game winning streak Sunday, defeating the Tigers, 7-2, at Alex Box Stadium.

LSU (11-2) made four errors, three by third baseman Michael Hollander.

First-time right fielder Rene Escobar committed the other error. It let Stetson take its first lead of the weekend, 3-2 in the fifth inning.

The Hatters (6-6) shut out LSU in the last six innings, holding the Tigers to three hits during that span. Stetson’s Aaron Crittenden sent a number of LSU fans home with his three-run homer in the top of the ninth.

Stetson played error-free after committing five in two Saturday losses. Coach Pete Dunn said he had a “heart-to-heart talk” with his players that night.

“I kind of challenged their intestinal fortitude,” Dunn said. “I didn’t think that we competed as well as we should have.

As good as LSU might be, Mainieri said he and his coaches will meet as usual this morning and talk about tweaking the lineup.

“Eventually, we’ll get the right combination out there,” Mainieri said.

Stetson had the right pitchers. Starter Robby Donovan (2-1) held LSU to two runs on five hits and no walks in seven innings.