No. 2 LSU baseball clinched the series over Xavier with an easy 8-2 win.
Much like last night’s game, LSU (14-1) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first two innings. Unlike last night’s game, the Tigers’ offense managed to hit throughout the game and continued to add to its lead.
“I thought the execution was good,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “[Jump’s] changeup was good a couple times tonight.”
Gage Jump followed up Luke Holman’s performance from last night with a great performance of his own. Jump only allowed three hits and recorded 10 strikeouts in 5.0 innings. LSU’s two starting pitchers have a combined 20 strikeouts this weekend. Holman and Jump have both yet to give up an earned run this season.
“I’m glad I threw the changeup today,” Gage Jump said. “I think that’s going to be a pitch that I need to throw, especially when conference [play] starts. But yeah, the slider and the curverball, kind of mixing and matching with everything and not just throwing fastballs.”
LSU got the scoring started in the first inning after Paxton Kling was hit by a pitch in the lead off position. Milam reached base on an error followed by a couple strikeouts before Jared Jones walked to load the bases. Ethan Frey hit a base-clearing double that gave LSU a 3-0 lead.
Michael Braswell III and Kling reached base via walk in the second inning and Alex Milazzo got on with a single. A sac fly from Milam scored Braswell and brought the lead to 4-0. Kling was caught stealing before Hayden Travinski was walked and Tommy White was hit by a pitch to load up the bases.
Xavier brought in Logan Schmidt to pitch for Nolan Hughes to get out of the jam. Hughes went 1.2 innings and gave two hits, four walks and four runs. Schmidt struck out Jones to get out of the inning without letting LSU add to its lead.
Neither team managed to score in the third inning, but LSU extended its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a solo homer from Travinski. The Tigers continued to build its lead in the fifth inning as well.
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Braswell and Milazzo both got on base thanks to a pair of singles before a fly out from Josh Pearson moved Braswell to third base. An RBI single from Milam brought the lead to 6-0 and a two RBI double from Travinski made it 8-0.
Cam Johnson came in to pitch for Jump to start the sixth inning and forced a line out against the one batter he faced. Johnson was replaced by Sam Dutton afterwards. Dutton gave up two straight hits and a fielder’s choice out put runners on the corners with one out to go.
Matthew DePrey hit an RBI single to score Xavier’s first run of the night. Garret Schultz hit another RBI single for Xavier in the next at bat to bring the score to 8-2. LSU managed to get out of the inning without allowing anymore though. Those runs would be the last of the game.
Dutton was replaced by Nic Bronzini in the top of the seventh inning and LSU wouldn’t allow another hit for the rest of the game.
“Really happy with that,” Johnson said. ” Cam [Johnson] coming in and getting the out. Sam [Dutton] coming in and getting us a little bit of length. Nic Bronzini, he keeps striking dudes out. That’s awesome. I mean he’s only faced like six hitters and he has five strikeouts. Very happy with those guys tonight.”
Travinski and Frey lead the team with three RBI each and Milam added two more. The Tigers had 11 hits on the night and allowed seven to Xavier. The LSU pitching staff ended with 12 strikeouts.
LSU and Xavier wrap up the series tomorrow at 12 p.m.
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