No. 1 Tigers handle Green Wave in musical chairs night of pitchers
Yes, No. 1 LSU’s Tuesday’s non-conference 11-5 victory at Tulane counted in the win-loss column.
But since the 27-5 Tigers used six pitchers and 9-24 Tulane trotted out 10 hurlers, the night had the feel of an exhibition game.
LSU knew it would have to play poorly to lose and Tulane would have to perform close to perfect to win. So head coaches Jay Johnson of LSU and Jay Uhlman of Tulane trotted out at an array of pitchers with important weekend conference series (LSU hosts No. 12 Kentucky, Tulane is home vs. Wichita State) looming for both teams.,
With LSU’s offense producing 19 hits and scoring runs in six of the last seven innings vs. the Green Wave, it was an ideal situation for Johnson to audition pitchers since three of the Tigers’ best throwing arms are shelved with injuries.
The big mound winner of the night for LSU were sophomore Bryce Collins. He threw 2.2 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out two and walking two.
“Bryce had a tough start to this season, which was a real surprise,” Johnson said. “We’ve made some adjustments both in mindset and physically, and that’s four or five good outings in a row for him. We really need that, now more than ever. I have total faith in him.”
Seven LSU players had multiple hits as the Tigers remained unbeaten in midweek games at 9-0.
Right fielder Brayden Jobert was 3 for 5 including a two-run homer. Third baseman Tommy White, the SEC’s RBI leader, was 2 for 4 with three RBI. First baseman Jared Jones was 3 for 4 with three doubles.
Native New Orleanians Cade Beloso and Tre’ Morgan went 3 for 5 and 3 for 4 respectively with an RBI each.
LSU starter Christian Little, who was supposed to start in the rained-out game 3 at South Carolina on Sunday, was only scheduled to go no more than two innings in his start vs.Tulane.
Little lasted one struggling inning and was all over the place. He faced seven batters, threw 40 pitches, gave up an RBI single to third baseman Simon Baumgardt, walked two and struck out three including centerfielder Teo Banks with the bases loaded to end the inning.
After LSU’s White delivered a two-out two-run double for a 2-1 Tigers’ lead in the top of the third, the Green Wave’s Baumgardt struck again in bottom of the third. He whacked a two-run homer to straightaway centerfield off LSU reliever Blake Money for a 3-2 lead.
The Tigers tied the game 3-3 in the fourth. Jobert’s RBI single plated Jones after he led off the inning with a double.
LSU busted loose with two runs for a 5-3 on four hits in the Tigers’ fifth. Consecutive one-out singles by left fielder Morgan and center fielder Dylan Crews and White’s RBI sacrifice fly followed by designated hitter Beloso’s RBI single got the job done.
The Tigers added a run in the sixth for a 6-3 edge on an RBI single by second baseman Gavin Dugas. But LSU left the bases loaded when White’s sinking liner was gloved for a third out by diving Tulane right fielder Jake LaPrairie.
Jobert’s two-run homer in the top of the seventh upped the Tigers’ lead to 8-3. Tulane pushed across a run in the bottom of the seventh off Sam Dutton, LSU’s third reliever of the game.
LSU shortstop Jordan Thompson jacked a solo homer in the ninth, his third consecutive home run in the last three games.
The only negative of the night was LSU freshman right fielder Paxton Kling sustaining a hamstring injury while trying make a diving backwards grab on the warning track in the Tulane eighth.
"We played well tonight, and we had to in order to win the game,” Johnson said. “We used pitchers that we rely on a lot, and it was a good win on the road. I think Tulane will finish the year better than they started it; they’re really well coached, and it was a tough game tonight. A good win for us.”