LSU’s offense struggled the last couple games, but you wouldn’t know it based on how the Tigers hit the ball on Sunday against Stony Brook.
LSU teed off on the Stony Brook pitching staff early and often on the way to a 18-10 win. LSU now moves to 7-1 on the season.
Javen Coleman started on the mound for LSU. He hit one batter with a pitch in the first inning but got out of the inning without giving up anything else. Then LSU came up to bat in the bottom of the first and started the hit parade.
Paxton Kling started the game with a single and then moved all the way to third on a throwing error from pitcher Colton Book. Tommy White singled to score Kling and give LSU its first run of many. Book recorded two outs but also walked two to load the bases.
Michael Braswell III hit a stand-up triple to clear the bases followed by an Ethan Frey single to bring the LSU’s lead to 5-0. Cook was pulled after that for Ty Stout. Cook only made it through 0.2 innings and gave up four hits, five runs and three walks. Stout hit Kling with a pitch to load up the bases but White flied out to end the inning.
“[LSU] did a good job,” Jay Johnson said. “We worked hard before the game today and had good intent with what we were doing. I thought the first inning set a really good tone. There’s stuff that won’t show up on the box score in that inning which was a massive step forward from where we’ve been to this point.”
MB FOR THREE @brazzy_11 | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/f3u8G7dnU8
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) February 25, 2024
The Seawolves went three up, three down in the second inning and LSU came up to bat looking to add to its lead. Stout got two outs to start the inning. Steven Milam hit a single and then stole second before being driven home by Jared Jones. Braswell, Frey and Milazzo all singled in consecutive at bats to score two more and load the bases. Kling was hit by a pitch to score another and a two-RBI single by White brought the lead to 10-0.
Stout was pulled for Colin Rhein after that. He went 1.0 innings and gave up six hits and five runs. Kling was caught stealing at third to end the inning.
Stony Brook pulled a couple runs back in the top of the third courtesy of Cam Santerre. An Evan Fox double was the first hit of the game for the Seawolves and Santerre followed it up with a two-run homer to bring the score to 10-2. Colman recorded a strikeout to end the inning afterwards.
LSU brought its lead back to ten runs in the bottom of the third. Bingham and Hayden Travinski got out to start the inning. Jones hit a two-run home run after a single by Milam.
Coleman got through the fourth without much trouble and LSU added another run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a sacrifice fly from White. LSU led 13-2 heading into the fifth inning, but Stony Brook wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Micah Bucknam came in to pitch for Coleman to start the inning. Coleman finished the day giving up two earned runs and two hits in 4.0 innings pitched and six strikeouts. Bucknam immediately got off to a bad start and gave up a single to the first batter he faced.
“The luxury that we have to be able to put a pitcher of Javen’s caliber out there in game four of the weekend is awesome,” Jay Johnson said. “That is a really good thing for our team.”
He walked another batter before giving up a three-run homer to Johnny Pilla. Bucknam would walk another batter before being pulled for Christian Little. Little gave up three straight hits before being replaced by Fidel Ulloa. Ulloa gave up another hit before getting out of the inning.
“Micah [Bucknam] and Christian [Little] had some tough results, but I really believe in how much they’ve improved,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to seeing them get back out there and respond with a solid outing.”
Stony Brook scored six runs in the inning and recorded five hits. LSU’s lead was down to 13-8. The Tigers couldn’t get anything going in the bottom of the fifth to respond to the Stony Brook onslaught, but Stony Brook went three up, three down in the top of the sixth.
LSU gave itself more cushion in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a double from Travinksi that came with the basses loaded. Milam scored another runner with a sacrifice fly and LSU’s lead grew to 17-8.
HT clears the bases with a 3-RBI double@haydenrt_ | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/buVuc06ujU
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) February 25, 2024
Cam Johnson came in for Ulloa in the top of the seventh inning. Ulloa finished with two strikeouts and no earned runs while allowing just one hit in 2.0 innings pitched. Johnson gave up a two-RBI double to bring the score to 17-10 before getting out of the inning. Since the second inning, LSU had been outscored 10-7 by Stony Brook.
White came up to bat for the Tigers with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, but he grounded into a double play to end the inning without adding to LSU’s lead.
Will Hellmers came in to start the eighth inning for LSU. Hellmers recorded one out before being pulled for DJ Primeaux. Primeaux got out of the inning without giving up a hit.
Milam hit an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to bring LSU’s lead to 18-10.
Aiden Moffett came in for Primeaux in the top of the ninth with two outs to go. Moffett walked one and recorded an out before being replaced by Nic Bronzini. Bronzini was LSU’s ninth pitcher of the game. He struck out Stony Brook’s final batter to end the game.
Every player in LSU’s starting lineup reached base and eight of the nine recorded base hits. The Tigers recorded 17 hits in the game.
LSU’s next game is on the road in Texas against Rice. That game will start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
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