Getting the job done

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 22, 2009 - Page: 1C

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HOOVER, Ala. — With one mighty swing of his bat on the first pitch he saw Thursday, LSU senior Derek Helenihi carved himself a corner in Tigers baseball lore.

Turns out, he also supplied a spark LSU badly needed to stay alive in the 2009 Southeastern Conference tournament.

Helenihi hit the first pitch he laid eyes on from Alabama reliever David Head over the left-field fence for a pinch-hit three-run home run in the seventh inning to give the Tigers some much needed breathing room.

That gave LSU a six-run lead, which was just enough for the Tigers to survive a rocky final two innings in a 9-6 triumph in an elimination game at Regions Park.

LSU (42-16) remains alive and will face No. 5 seed South Carolina (38-20) in another elimination game at 6:30 p.m. today.

 

Sophomore Anthony Ranaudo nabbed the victory, navigating a tough third inning to last 7 1/3 innings by allowing the potent Bama offense only four hits.

The Crimson Tide (37-19) got to reliever Buzzy Haydel for a pair of runs in the eighth, but closer Matty Ott came on to close out the frame with one pitch that retired Tyler Odle on a groundout to second base.

Alabama produced another run with three hits in the ninth and had third baseman Brandon May at the plate as the tying run. But he drove Ott’s first pitch to Helenihi in right field for the final out.

It might’ve been fitting that Helenihi grabbed the final out, because it was his day to be the unlikeliest of heroes for top-seeded LSU.

Installed as the starting third baseman when the season began, Helenihi lost that job, moved to right field and subsequently lost his spot there as well. Since starting 17 of the first 23 games, Helenihi had batted only 11 times in the last 34 games prior to Thursday.

He made sure he seized the moment.

“I may not be out there as much as I thought I was going to be, but the role I have now I enjoy it,” Helenihi said. “I try to stay in the game as much as possible. … I went up there looking for something over the plate to get the runner around. (Head) left the pitch right there and I took a pretty good swing on it.