LSU baseball sweeps Missouri
After getting swept on the road last weekend against Arkansas, the LSU baseball team needed some good news.
It got it this weekend.
Defeating Missouri 8-6 Saturday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium, LSU picked up the all-important sweep and improved its conference record to 10-8 and 27-12 overall.
“Very proud of this team,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “I have a lot of respect for Missouri. They were incredibly difficult to defeat; they made you play all 27 outs on both sides of the ball. We stuck with it and did a lot of good things this weekend.”
After giving up a two-run homer to Missouri in the top of the first inning, LSU finally got on the board in the third. Brayden Jobert got the offensive attack going for the Tigers with a solo home run, Tyler McManus and Dylan Crews eventually followed with a two-out single. McManus scored to tie the game 2-2 on an RBI single by Jacob Berry.
An inning later, the LSU senior catcher gave his team the lead with a two-run double and the lead increased to 5-2 when he came around to score on a two-out RBI single by Josh Pearson.
McManus had one of his most productive days at the plate this season, finishing 3 for 3, falling a home run short of the cycle.
“Hitting the ball well is fun, but just being at the ballpark all day with the boys is even more fun,” McManus said. “This is the reason that I came (to LSU). I take advantage of every day and come to the ballpark with a positive mindset and enjoy every moment that you can.
“I’m really just working on trying to see the ball and hit pitches in the zone; especially ones that I can drive. Drive ‘em and don’t miss ‘em.”
Johnson was proud of his catcher’s performance Sunday afternoon.
“Huge day,” he said. “Just wow. If you have been following him closely, he’s been taking really good at bats as of late. The magic moment today was his two-strike, two-run double. His two strike hitting continues to get better. A big reason why we won the game today.”
An inning later, Berry got in on the fun for the LSU offense, launching his team-leading 13th home run over the right centerfield wall for a 6-3 lead.
Using six different pitchers on the afternoon, LSU was able to hold off a late Missouri rally, stranding the bases loaded in the eighth inning after Missouri pushed across three runs on only a single hit.
LSU will hit the road on Tuesday to take on UNO at Privateer Park before returning home to play Georgia in a three-game SEC series that begins Friday at 6:30 p.m.