They’re not all gonna be easy
For the first time all season, LSU (5-0) really had to work to earn a win but Friday’s result ended up the same as last weekend: the Tigers coming out on top.
LSU won the first game of its weekend series against Omaha 4-2. The Tigers and Mavericks will play a doubleheader tomorrow due to inclement weather in the forecast Sunday.
Sophomore lefty Kade Anderson got the Friday start once again and threw a career-best 5.1 innings. His outing wasn’t as pristine as last weekend against Purdue Fort Wayne, but his start was certainly more than good enough to earn the win: 5.1 innings, three hits, two walks, eight Ks, and two earned runs.
“Kade was dominant tonight, and his first five innings with reminiscent of Paul Skenes two years ago,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “It seemed like he was 1-2 to every hitter, and then he was finishing them off with a strikeout or getting weak contact.”
Johnson went to his pen in the sixth inning, and the Tiger relievers absolutely slammed the door shut on Omaha. Connor Benge, Mavrick Rizy, and Casan Evans pitched the final 3.2 innings of Friday and the trio only allowed one hit.
“Those guys out of the bullpen were outstanding,” Johnson said. “I’m super proud of all of them for the way they performed on the mound tonight.”
Evans earned his first career save as he recorded the game’s final six outs. Evans was nearly perfect and retired six of the seven batters he faced; Evans struck out five and walked one.
“We have total faith in Casan,” Johnson said. “That’s a pretty big spot for a guy pitching for just the second time in college, and he looked like he had been doing it for years.”
LSU scored a pair of runs in the second inning. Jake Brown had an RBI single and Luis Hernandez was able to manufacture a second run by way of an RBI groundout.
Hernandez drove in his second RBI of the afternoon in the fourth inning with a double down the left field line to score Jake Brown, and Steven Milam hit a sac fly in the fifth to score Jared Jones.
The bottom third of LSU’s lineup was productive. Michael Braswell, batting seventh, drew a pair of walks while Brown and Hernandez each went 2-4 at the plate batting out of the 8 and 9-hole. In total, the 7/8/9 hitters combined to go 4-10 with two RBI and two walks. Chris Stanfield had a brutal day from the lead off spot going 0-4 with three Ks, while freshman left fielder Derek Curiel went 2-5. Ashton Larson, batting cleanup, got the start at DH and drew three walks.
First pitch for game one of tomorrow’s doubleheader is scheduled for noon, while game two is set for 5:00.