The No. 2 LSU baseball team shut down Princeton on Friday night to take Game 1 of the series, 3-2.
LSU (8-1) sophomore southpaw Jared Poche’ had an impressive outing on the mound for the squad, going 6.2 innings with five strikeout while allowing two earned runs on 92 pitches. Poche’ kept the Princeton lineup hitless in his first three innings.
“I was proud with our pitching staff and the way they rebounded,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I thought Poche’ was outstanding. He worked fast. He threw a lot of strikes. I thought he mixed his pitches well, made some really big pitches. I thought he really did a credible job and gave his team a chance to win when we weren’t hitting the ball a lot.”
The game began as a pitcher’s duel with Poche’ and Princeton (0-1) starter Chad Powers both producing dominant first impressions. The game was hitless on both sides after two and 1/3 innings.
LSU finally got on the board in the bottom of the third after two and a half innings of hitless ball. LSU sophomore left fielder Jake Fraley stepped up to the plate with two outs and a man on second when he drove home a run on a single to center, giving LSU a 1-0 lead and the game’s first hit.
Fraley would add to the LSU lead one batter later, stealing third and advancing to home on a throwing error by Princeton catcher Tyler Servais to give LSU a 2-0 lead heading into the fourth.
Fraley finished the night 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two stolen bases, including a run scored.
“Some guys played great,” Mainieri said. “Look at Jake Fraley. Again, tonight played his heart out.”
Poche’s hitless bid died in the fourth as Princeton notched two hits on the southpaw in the inning, one of which was a one-run single to center to cut the LSU lead to 2-1.
LSU bounced back with ease, however, getting a run back from Princeton in the bottom half of the inning. LSU senior first baseman Conner Hale drove home a run on a one-out single to left field to extend the LSU lead to 3-1.
Poche’ blundered for only the second time in the top half of the sixth after a dominating fifth. Poche’ gave up a leadoff home run to Princeton shortstop Billy Arendt, which cut the LSU lead to 3-2.
“I felt good,” Poche’ said. “I had all of my pitches working and everything. Unfortunately I gave up a couple of hits … but overall a good team win and looking forward to tomorrow.”
The southpaw’s night ended in the top half of the seventh to a standing ovation by the Alex Box Stadium crowd as he handed the ball off to the LSU bullpen.
Poche’s hot hand extended to the LSU bullpen, which gunned down the Princeton lineup for the remaining 2.1 innings, allowing no hits on 28 pitches to cap off Poche’s outing.
“Last night our bullpen really struggled, and today they come out and they were awesome … following Poche’s leadership,” Mainieri said. “That’s what good teams do.”
LSU freshman closer Jesse Stallings closed out the game with three straight strikeouts to power through Princeton’s lineup and clinch the series opener.
Stallings said he was pumped up on the mound tonight, gunning down all three batters he faced in quick fashion.
“It felt great. I was really fired up,” Stallings said. “After yesterday I was still fired up, and then I just carried it on the field today.”
LSU moves on to a double-header Saturday to finish the series, with the first game beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday’s game was moved up due to the possibility of inclement weather in the Baton Rouge area. Game 3 of the series will begin 45 minutes after the final pitch of Game 2.
LSU will trot out its Game 3 starter, freshman Jake Godfrey, for the first game of the doubleheader, with freshman Alex Lange to follow.
“I challenged [the team] tomorrow to come out and play a complete game in every facet of the game,” Mainieri said. “Play with a high level of energy, good defense and we pitch great. Hopefully we’ll play a lot better tomorrow.”