For the first time in two weeks, the LSU offense found a sense of consistency when the Tigers routed McNeese State 10-3 in Alex Box Stadium on Wednesday night.
During that offensive drought, LSU scored a total 20 runs in seven games.
Before heading into a weekend series against No. 9 Mississippi State, the Tigers needed any offensive spark to provide a sliver of confidence.
After hitting two home runs and a pair of two-RBI singles,
LSU got exactly what it was looking for against a 16-11 Cowboys squad.
The last time LSU scored 10 runs in a game was on March 7 in the series opener against Purdue.
McMullen surpasses 2013 run total
With a runner on and two outs in the bottom of the third inning, LSU senior designated hitter Sean McMullen stepped to the plate looking to extend the frame after another slow start by the Tigers’ offense.
Instead, he extended the bat and sent McNeese freshman left fielder Clay Payne running toward the warning track.
McMullen launched an opposite-field, two-run home run to tie the game at 2-2, his third long ball of the season.
“As I was rounding first base, I realized how high it went, and I just saw the left fielder keep drifting out closer to the fence,” McMullen said. “That’s when I realized it might get out.
The senior had only two home runs all of last season. He surpassed that total on the second day of April.
“I’m not a home run hitter,” he said. “I don’t ever try to hit it over the fence. I just let those come.”
Glenn’s struggles continue
Cody Glenn has had a season to forget in 2014, and his year only got worse following his Wednesday night start against McNeese State.
After pitching a clean top of the first inning against the Cowboys, Glenn ran into trouble in the second frame. With one out, McNeese redshirt junior shortstop Connor Lloyd scorched a double to left-center field. Two batters later, Payne hit an RBI single to center field, giving McNeese a 1-0 lead.
Glenn proceeded to walk another batter before allowing an RBI single to make it 2-0. LSU coach Paul Mainieri then turned to his bullpen, sending freshman right-hander Alden Cartwright to the mound. Glenn surrendered two runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings, raising his season ERA to 4.76.
Kyle Bouman makes appearance
For the first time since LSU’s series against Vanderbilt, junior left-hander Kyle Bouman found himself on the mound in competitive play.
Bouman pitched 1/3 of an inning in the top of the ninth and recorded a strikeout before Mainieri brought junior right-hander Joe Broussard on to finish the ninth.
The junior southpaw injured himself two weeks ago after landing on a baseball and hurting his ankle during warm-ups at practice.
“He’s not 100 percent yet,” Mainieri said. “There’s no question about that. It didn’t bother him when he was throwing his pitches today, and that was a positive thing. I think in the right situation, he’ll be able to give us something this weekend.

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Angela Major

LSU sophomore infielder Alex Bregman (8) taps helmets with teammate Kade Scivicque (22) after running a homerun Wednesday, April 2, 2014, during the Tigers' 10-3 victory against McNeese in Alex Box Stadium.