For five-and-a-half innings, it looked like No. 4 LSU (36-10) was in line for another nail-biter. But a huge sixth inning stifled any thought of another one-run game in LSU’s 9-5 win against Tulane (29-16) on Tuesday night in Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers were clinging to a 3-2 lead in a see-saw game before plating six runs in the sixth inning to take complete control. LSU’s last two midweek games – against Lamar and Southeastern – were one-run LSU wins. “We had several big hits in that inning, several good at-bats,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “It was nice to see us break it open like that. We hate to play one-run games every night. It was nice to get a little breathing room.” The outbreak inning wasn’t all LSU’s doing – it got help from some shoddy fielding by the Tulane infield. After junior outfielder Raph Rhymes punched his second hit of the game into right center field for a single, senior designated hitter Jordy Snikeris followed with a smash that glanced off Tulane third baseman Garrett Cannizaro’s glove, putting runners at second and third. The error bug bit the Green Wave again after two quick outs – except this time, the bite stung. Tulane junior shortstop Brennan Middleton misplayed a sharply hit ball by LSU senior third baseman Tyler Hanover, allowing two to score and prolonging the inning. “I’m trying to put hard contact on the ball and get a base hit up the middle,” Hanover said. “I put a really good swing on the ball … and forced the defense to make a play. Fortunately enough, it ate him up and I was able to get on base.” Four batters later, the Tigers opened up a commanding seven-run lead with a two-run triple, a run-scoring double and single. Senior shortstop Austin Nola, hitting from the No. 2 spot in the LSU lineup for the first time this season, paced the LSU offense with a solo home run and a double. The homer was Nola’s third on the season and his second in the last four games. It barely cleared the wall, taking advantage of a strong wind out to left field. “I’ve seen [Tulane junior pitcher Alex] Byo two times before, and I felt like I was seeing it really well,” Nola said. “I got a pitch up in the zone to drive and I got it up in the wind.” Sophomore Joe Broussard got the start on the mound for LSU and made it through four inconsistent innings before being pulled in favor of junior left-hander Brent Bonvillain in the fifth inning. Bonvillain (4-0, 2.55) got the win in relief, though he wasn’t particularly sharp either, giving up two hits and a run in one inning. Mainieri said he was pleased with the effort from Broussard, even if it was uneven. “Joe’s control kind of comes and goes like the wind,” Mainieri said. “He’ll throw two or three pitches and look like a major leaguer, and then all of a sudden he can’t find the strike zone.” After a five-game homestand, the Tigers travel to Oxford, Miss., on Friday to take on Ole Miss in their third-to-last weekend series of the regular season.
 
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at [email protected]