Inclement weather and severe lightning drove both big cats from Alex Box on Friday night, as the game between LSU and Southeastern was suspended during the bottom of the first inning.
The Tigers put runners on the corners with two outs before lightning forced the umpiring crew to halt the contest, and roughly an hour passed before both coaches met and decided to suspend the game. The matchup will resume as it was left on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
LSU junior starter Ryan Eades threw a mere 10 pitches in the top of the first inning, and coach Paul Mainieri fully intends to use him when the Lions step back to the plate on Sunday.
“The game will pick up exactly where it left off,” Mainieri said. “Eades will come back on Sunday, and [SLU] will bring back [its] starter as well. Had we done it tomorrow, neither of the starters could have come back, but with a day’s rest and Ryan [Eades] only throwing 10 pitches, it was slightly more than a glorified bullpen. He should be fine.”
Mainieri has prepared his squad for delayed games.
“Believe it or not, we actually practice dealing with rain delays,” Mainieri said. “I always love it when we don’t have a beautiful day during our preseason workouts because it gives me the opportunity to address that issue.”
The Tigers will go head-to-head against Brigham Young University on Saturday night, as LSU will look to build off the squad’s 5-4 walk-off victory against the Cougars on Thursday evening. Senior southpaw Brent Bonvillain will take the mound for the Tigers.
“We’re going to play tomorrow to win,” Mainieri said. “Hopefully Brent [Bonvillain] can go out there and give us a good five or six innings. I feel good about our pitching depth.”
