No. 8 LSU dominated its season opener Friday, cruising to a 10-2 victory against Air Force at Alex Box Stadium.
After allowing a two-out solo homerun in the first inning, sophomore pitcher Kevin Gausman shut down the Falcons (0-2) through six innings of work. Gausman allowed four hits, struck out seven batters and walked two.
“I was pretty pissed at myself,” Gausman said of the homerun. “But that’s going to happen. I knew I was going to give up a home run this year.”
LSU (1-0) batted around the order in each of the first two innings and jumped out to a 9-1 lead after two frames.
Air Force starting pitcher Ben Bertelson struggled in the first inning, hitting the first two batters he faced and walking one. Senior third baseman Tyler Hanover scored the Tigers’ first run of the season when Bertelson hit junior first baseman Mason Katz with the bases loaded.
LSU added four more runs in the first, with sophomore outfielder Jackson Slaid plating two with a double to right field. Senior shortstop Austin Nola and sophomore catcher Tyler Ross also had RBIs in the first inning.
The Tigers added four more in the second inning, with junior second baseman Casey Yocom, sophomore outfielder Jacoby Jones and Nola all contributing from the plate.
LSU’s final run came in the fourth inning when senior designated hitter Jordy Snikeris scored Nola on a fielder’s choice. Snikeris played in place of junior outfielder Alex Edward, who pulled his hamstring during batting practice.
“I got a pitch I could hit and I just put a barrel on it,” Snikeris said. “It was a good feeling. I didn’t get a lot of at-bats last year. We had a great hitting lineup and this year, it looks like I’m going to get some opportunities and I’m going to make the most of them.”
Freshman pitcher Austin Nola allowed the only other run, giving up a RBI single to Air Force outfielder Alex Bast in the eighth inning.
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Contact Hunter Paniagua at [email protected]