Skenes strikes out 13 in No. 1 LSU's easy win over Butler

Another almost-flawless pitching performance by starter Paul Skenes boosted No. 1 LSU to a 12-2 victory over Butler Friday night in Alex Box Stadium.

Butler faced six LSU pitchers and could manage just two hits, a two-out first inning single by Butler left fielder Scott Jones off Skenes and a ninth-inning RBI double by catcher Cade Vota off Tigers' reliever Gavin Guidry.

After Jones’ hit, Skenes retired 16 straight batters before he took a seat after throwing 61 strikes in 80 pitches. He struck out 13 batters in six innings and had no walks.

Butler starter Cole Graverson struck out eight Tigers in the first four innings before LSU sent him to the showers when he allowed four of the Tigers’ six runs in the sixth inning.

LSU had nine of its game-total 10 hits in its final four-at bats. Centerfielder Dylan Crews lit the fuse for the Tigers with his rally-starting three-run homer in the sixth.

Tigers’ head coach Jay Johnson began substituting freely in the seventh. It paid off when fifth-year senior first baseman Cade Beloso, battling back from a knee injury that sidelined him all of last season, belted a two-RBI double in LSU’s three-run seventh.

The Tigers play again Saturday at 1:30 p.m. vs. Central Connecticut.