The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: ALEX BUSKO Head coach Dave Perno argues a call with home plate umpire Kevin Bradley, leading to his ejection in LSU's 7-5 win over Georgia Sunday. [Click to enlarge]

By the ninth inning of Georgia's 7-5 loss to LSU in the rubber game of its weekend series at Foley Field, Georgia head coach David Perno had had enough.

He was fed up with home plate umpire Kevin Bradley's ever-changing strike zone and finally let loose. He argued with the umpire three different times in the ninth, before finally getting the ol' heave-ho from third base umpire Fred Cannon after shortstop Levi Hyams watched strike three.

"I had enough," Perno said. "I think this game and this level deserves better than that."

Perno's ejection resulted in a standing ovation from the Foley Field crowd.

"He's out there fighting for us, just like we are," center fielder Matt Cerione said. "He knows how bad we're fighting and we're laying it on the line and he's doing the same thing and he's got our back 100 percent and he's going to do whatever he can to protect us."

The next batter following Perno's ejection, shortstop Michael Demperio, hit an infield single to bring the game-winning run to the plate. Zach Cone pinch hit for Johnathan Taylor and battled LSU closer Matty Ott to a full count. Cone fouled off several pitches in a row before striking out.

"I've been here for two years and I've never seen him get tossed out of a ballgame, so it had to be something pretty wrong for him to get tossed," catcher Bryce Massanari said. "We really wanted to win this game for him after that, it just didn't work out."

Continuing a recent trend, the Diamond Dogs (24-5, 8-4 SEC) committed untimely errors and struck out far too many times. They struck out 11 times Sunday and in the sixth, right fielder Chase Davidson dropped a fly ball that eventually allowed LSU (23-8, 8-4 SEC) to hit a two-out, two-run home run two batters later to regain a 6-5 lead.

Six of LSU's seven runs scored with two outs.

"They finally got us," Perno said of the errors and strikeouts. "We talked about it and a few things finally caught up with us, the errors, the strikeouts and not winning any full counts."

Massanari remained white-hot as he hit his fourth home run of the series, and eighth in 10 games, in the first inning to give the Dogs a 2-1 lead.

"I don't think I could be swinging any better than I am right now," Massanari said. "I think it will be hard to keep hitting at this pace right now, but I feel great at the plate right now."

Cerione, 2-for-3 with three RBIs, continued his strong two-way play as he hit a three-run home run in the fourth to give Georgia a short lived 5-4 lead. Cerione also robbed Jared Mitchell of a three-run home run in the eighth. Georgia struggled against LSU's Louis Coleman, who pitched eight innings to earn the win after pitching 2.1 innings on Friday.

"We would never use a pitcher like that," Perno said. "But he's a great pitcher and his coaches wouldn't use him like that if he couldn't handle it."

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