GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU’s engine is purring like a big cat.
Just in time for Southeastern Conference play.
The No. 1 Tigers roared for 18 hits, including three home runs, to overwhelm Xavier, 18-4, in a seven-inning, 10-run-rule victory Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium in the final non-conference test drive of the season before Southeastern Conference play starts. It was the Tigers’ fifth 10-run-rule-shortened win of the season.
LSU (17-1) hosts Missouri (8-8) on Friday (6:30 p.m.), Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) with all games on SEC Network+. Xavier fell to 7-10.
Jared Jones highlighted a seven-run first inning for the Tigers with a two-run home run after Derek Curiel led off the inning with a double.
Daniel Dickinson followed Jones with a home run, and it was 3-0.
Jake Brown and Chris Stanfield each added RBI singles, another run scored on a double play, and Curiel hit a second double in the inning to drive in another run for the 7-0 advantage.
LSU LINEUP MAY BE AS SET AS IT’S GOING TO BE
After LSU took a 10-0 lead in the second inning, LSU scored seven more in the third as Tanner Reaves hit a grand slam home run for a 17-0 lead.
“They keep playing with great energy and focus,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “And we’ve had a lot of games the last couple of weeks (9 in 12 days). They put it out of hand early, which is always good.”
LSU collected 18 hits in all and used 19 non-pitchers. Every starter but one got at least one hit, and the the one who did not – Steven Milam – walked three times, scored three times and had an RBI.
Jones finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and his team-leading seventh home run. Dickinson hit his sixth homer. Jake Brown went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Curiel also went 3-for-3 with an RBI. And Reaves went 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
“Really happy Tanner’s here and doing well right now,” Johnson said of the junior transfer from Blinn College in Texas who started at third base. “He’s a really good hitter and a really good player.”
Freshman William Schmidt started for LSU on the mound, but went only one inning because of the Tigers’ long first inning that featured 10 batters. He allowed one hit and struck out one with no walks and no runs on 14 pitches with 10 strikes. He was still given the win and improved to 3-0.
“William was very efficient,” Johnson said. “The plan was to pitch him another inning, but with the seven runs, a mound visit and a pitching change, it wasn’t the right thing to do to put him back in.”
Schmidt will be available for relief over the weekend. Five relievers closed the game. Jaden Noot struck out four in a hitless two-inning shutout. Jacob Myers struck out three in the eighth, but walked two. And Casan Evans struck out three in the seventh, but allowed two runs on two hits with a walk. Conner Ware gave up three hits and two runs with a walk in the fourth inning.
“I think this team has the talent and makeup to meet the challenge of the SEC,” Johnson said. “Really excited to dive into it with them.”
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