This story will be updated with postgame comments.
LSU baseball took a while to get going in the rubber match against Missouri, but when the Tigers needed to come back from an early 2-0 deficit, they found what they needed to claim their first SEC series of the season.
It wasn’t a dominate performance like the one on Friday, but LSU’s offense showed off come clutch hitting and Griffin Herring put in a great performance out of the bullpen for a 6-2 win.
Nate Ackenhausen got the start for LSU (25-16, 5-13 SEC) and held Mizzou (18-23, 6-12 SEC) scoreless until the third inning when the Tigers managed a pair of singles before a fielding error from Steven Milam scored two runs and put LSU in a 2-0 hole.
Another single put runners on the corners with one out gone, but Ackenhausen struck out two batters to end the inning and limit the damage.
LSU’s offense started slow and had just one hit through the first four innings, and it didn’t look like the Tigers would change their fortunes in the fifth either when Hayden Travinski and Michael Braswell III both struck out to start the inning. Milam made up for his earlier error though with a triple.
Alex Milazzo drew a walk before Kling hit a double that brought home both runners and tied the score up 2-2.
Herring came in to pitch for Ackenhausen in the bottom of the fifth and struck out the side. Ackenhausen finished the game with five strikeouts in four innings pitched while allowing five hits, one walk and two earned runs.
In the sixth inning, LSU took the lead for the first time thanks to a Braswell walk that came with the bases loaded. Milam came up to bat with one out gone and the bases still loaded but grounded into a double play to end the Tigers threat.
Freshman Ashton Larson hit a solo shot homer with two outs gone in the seventh inning to extend the lead to 4-2. The hit extended Larson’s hit streak to seven.
Lar-Lar Goes Ya-Ya 🚀@Ashton_Larson11 | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/RvawqoCQuS
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 21, 2024
The Tigers also added to their lead in the eighth, again with two outs gone. Braswell doubled after a Josh Pearson single to bring the lead to 5-2.
Herring sent the side down in order in the bottom of the eighth to bring the Tigers three outs away from claiming its first SEC series.
They added an extra insurance run in the top of the ninth thanks to an error that allowed Milazzo to come home and White to reach first base. It was the fifth run of the game for LSU that came with two outs gone.
Herring sent the final three Mizzou batters down in order to give LSU its first SEC series of the season.
TIGERS WIN! TIGERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/KwnSwzIgKP
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 21, 2024
Herring finished the game with five innings pitched while allowing just one hit and one walk with no runs. He threw a season-high 79 pitches and matched his career-high in strikeouts with eight.
LSU finished with nine hits after a slow start. Kling and Braswell led the way with two RBI each and Larson hit the lone homer of the game. Every Tiger reached base and eight different players had hits.
The Tigers next game is on Tuesday against Nicholls. That game will start at 6:30 p.m. at Alex Box.
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