LSU coach Paul Mainieri likes to keep his pitching staff busy. In Wednesday night’s 8-6 loss against the University of New Orleans (14-8), six different LSU (15-8, 2-4 SEC) pitchers saw action. “That was the plan to try to keep everybody ready for this weekend,” Mainieri said. LSU got on the board first, scoring two runs in the first inning on RBIs from junior designated hitter Matt Gaudet and junior right fielder Derek Helenihi. The Privateers scored a run in the second inning on an RBI from junior catcher Jeff Lanning. In the bottom half of the frame, the Tigers extended their lead when a double by sophomore second baseman Ryan Schimpf allowed freshman center fielder Leon Landry to score. This brought the score to 3-1 in LSU’s favor. UNO fought back and added a run in each of the next three innings. In the third inning, a wild pitch by LSU junior pitcher Jordan Brown allowed UNO junior shortstop Michael Knipper to score and close the gap to 3-2. Another RBI by Lanning in the fourth inning knotted the game at 3-3. UNO went on top in the fifth inning after a sacrifice fly by senior third baseman T.J. Baxter allowed junior second baseman Johnny Giavotella to score and make the score 4-3. LSU took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning after RBIs from sophomore left fielder Blake Dean, Gaudet and Helenihi put the Tigers up, 6-4. During the inning, senior third baseman Michael Hollander appeared to injure his hamstring. “The trainer said he thought it would be a couple of weeks,” Mainieri said. “It was a tough loss because he’s been playing so great.” In the seventh inning with LSU’s sixth pitcher Daniel Bradshaw on the mound, UNO senior first baseman Nick Schwaner hit a two-out single to left field that allowed senior left fielder Joey Butler and Baxter to score and tie the score again at 6-6. The Privateers went ahead for good in the top of the ninth inning when Baxter scored on a throwing error by LSU second baseman Ryan Schimpf. UNO also added another run when the next batter, senior designated hitter Josh Vander Hey, singled home Giavotella. “We just haven’t had the killer instinct to come through with the clutch hit when we’ve had the opportunity,” Mainieri said Privateer junior pitcher David Burch got credit for the win. He went three innings and struck out three while allowing no runs on two hits.
—-Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]