It appears so easy, but Aaron Nola insists he’s trying.
After another seemingly easy outing where he struck out a career-high 12 Purdue hitters and scattered only two hits through eight shutout frames in a 10-0 win Friday, LSU’s junior ace now hasn’t allowed an earned run in 53 innings dating back to last season.
“I put a lot of effort in,” Nola joked. “It might not look like it, but I definitely do. I got that two-strike pitch down tonight and I didn’t miss any spots.”
Nola’s last earned run was an RBI double he issued to Arkansas designated hitter Joe Serrano in a 4-1 loss against the Razorbacks in last season’s Southeastern Conference Tournament.
The Catholic High product mixed his trademark fastball with a nasty curveball and evolving changeup to eviscerate the Boilermaker lineup in 101 pitches.
“I’m giving my team a chance to win, and I’ve been successful in that area,” Nola said. “As each start goes on, it feels like I’m getting stronger, my stamina’s increasing and I feel like I’m getting into a groove.”
“Nola’s one of the greatest pitchers I’ve ever been around,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “He held his velocity all the way through eight innings, threw some great curveballs and great changeups.”
Tiger sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman had a 3-for-4 night, chipping in three hits and four RBIs to tie his career high for runs driven in.
And it all came after Purdue southpaw Jordan Minch stymied Bregman on a 1-2 slider, freezing him for a called strike three to end the first inning — only his third of the young season.
Bregman clobbered the first pitch he saw after the strikeout, sending it well over the left field fence for his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to give LSU (12-2) a 4-0 cushion that wouldn’t be threatened.
“The guy locks in and locks in hard,” junior designated hitter Kade Scivicque said. “You normally don’t see that. Once you knew it, he was focused in and locked down.”
Bregman was unavailable to talk to reporters after the game due to a bout of nausea. Mainieri said he pulled Bregman after he complained of the ailment in the eighth and a doctor would check on him after the game.
Scivicque chipped in with three hits of his own, the last an RBI single in the seventh to chase home freshman second baseman Kramer Robertson and put LSU ahead 7-0.
The Southwest Mississippi Community College transfer’s 3-for-4 night put his batting average at .447 — the highest of any regular Tiger starter through 14 games.
“I’m just trying to lock in,” Scivicque said. “Trying to hit low line drives and just punch it through the infield.”
Coupled with another eye-popping catch in centerfield from speedy sophomore Andrew Stevenson, 13 hits as a club and errorless baseball until an errant throw from backup third baseman Danny Zardon with two outs in the ninth, Mainieri had trouble criticizing the Tigers’ play.
“It’s hard to play much better than we did tonight,” Mainieri said. “We played great defense … I was really proud of our guys, I thought they played a great ballgame all around.”
LSU senior infielder Christian Ibarra (14) throws to first Friday, March 7, 2014 during the Tigers' 10-0 victory against Purdue at Alex Box Stadium.
