LSU Slams Sam Houston State, Then Holds On To Go To 11-1

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU completed a torrential downpour of offense on Texas Sunday with a 12-8 victory over Sam Houston State at Riders Field in Frisco on 13 hits to complete a four-game sweep of it road trip.

The No. 2 Tigers totaled 53 hits and 38 runs in the four games, improving to 11-1 with a 7-3 win over Dallas Baptist on Wednesday in Arlington, then won three in the Frisco College Classic, beating Kansas State, 8-5, in 10 innings on Friday and Nebraska, 11-6, on Saturday.

The Tigers celebrated winning the Frisco tournament as everyone on the team jumped into a lazy river behind the stadium – in uniform – then posed for a soggy team picture.

LSU struck for seven runs in the second inning Sunday to take a 7-0 lead. Steven Milam started it with a solo home run to lead off, and Ethan Frey wrapped it up with a three-run home run. In between, Jared Jones had a two-run double and Chris Stanfield delivered an RBI groundout in the six-hit inning.

After Sam Houston State got two in the third off LSU starter Chase Shores, the Tigers went up 9-2 in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Derek Curiel and RBI groundout by Stanfield. The Bearkats cut it to 9-3 in the fourth, but LSU got that back up to 10-3 with a sacrifice fly by Milam that scored Daniel Dickinson, who had double to lead off the inning. Luis Hernandez’ RBI single later made it 11-3.

Sam Houston State (2-9) would not die, though, as it got within 11-4 in the fifth and scored four runs in the sixth to cut LSU’s lead to 11-8 as the Tigers’ bullpen struggled.

LSU went up 12-8 in the sixth as Michael Braswell III singled with two outs and scored on an RBI single by Curiel.

Shores improved to 3-0 on the season, albeit with a rocky outing. He gave up seven hits and four runs in five innings with three walks and a wild pitch while striking out five.

Curiel finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Jones was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Dickinson went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Hernandez finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

LSU will return home to host North Dakota State on Tuesday and Wednesday in 6:30 p.m. games. The Tigers host North Alabama in a three-game series over the weekend with the game times at 6:30 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.