Published Feb 22, 2021
LSU bats wake up in big win over Louisiana Tech
David Folse
Contributing writer

The young LSU bats more than showed what they are capable of Monday night.

Overcoming a 6-1 deficit, the No. 12 Tigers (2-1) scored 14 consecutive runs in a 16-7 win over Louisiana Tech at Alex Box Stadium.

“I just can’t tell you how proud I am of our team,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “It seems like a ho-hum victory against an in-state school for a lot of people, but it didn’t feel that way to our team.

“Falling behind 5-1 what was great to see was the life in the dugout was still good. Crews gets us going with a solo homer and then we started loosening up and getting some big hits.”

Falling behind 4-0 after giving up five consecutive hits, the Tigers got on the board in the bottom half on a solo home run by freshman Dylan Crews, his second on the young season. Crews later drove in the second run two innings later with an RBI single.

The freshman right fielder led the Tigers with three hits on the night.

LSU’s offense finally broke through in the sixth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. With one out, Cade Beloso, Zach Arnold and Mitchell Sanford all singled. Gavin Dugas then launched a Cade Gibson pitch deep over the left wall for a grand slam home run, tying the game 6-6.

The grand slam for Dugas was his first hit of the season for the junior left fielder.

“Right before I got up to the plate Coach Mainieri told me to win this fight and win my battle,” Dugas said. “It’s something we talked about before the game started today; we were going to be aggressive at the plate. I won my battle in that at bat when I took that swing.”

Freshman third baseman Jordan Thompson followed with a solo shot to give LSU the lead for good at 7-6.

LSU put the game out of reach an inning later, sending nine players to the plate, scoring four runs without the benefit of the hit to make it an 11-6 contest.

A three-run bases clearing double by Jake Wyeth in the eighth gave the Tigers additional insurance runs.

While the LSU offense came alive, freshman left-hander Javen Coleman was able to keep the Bulldog bats at bay. The freshman left-hander picked up the win in relief, allowing only one run on one hit in 3.2 innings of work, striking out seven and walking only one.

“I definitely felt locked in,” he said. “The home run I allowed definitely motivated me to step up and do what I was able to do on the hill today. I think I was able to accomplish that. When I got the call I knew I had to step up. I tried to hype my team up and I did what I do. I was going to go right at (the Tech batters).

The Tigers will hit the road Wednesday to take on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

NOTES: Mainieri gave an injury update on junior outfielder Giovanni DiGiacomo saying he has a pulled hamstring, saying the hamstring was “pretty sore today and it will be a while until he comes back; my guess is at least a couple of weeks.”...Two days removed from his first start of the season Mainieri said ace right-hander Jaden Hill “feels great and is anxious to get back out there on Friday night. I thought he looked awesome. He’s 100-percent ready to go.”