Many people consider the number seven to be lucky, and LSU fit the mold Tuesday night. The Tigers (15-7, 2-4 SEC) scored seven runs on seven hits in the bottom of the seventh inning in their 10-3 win against Northwestern State (13-9) at Alex Box Stadium. “We had some good hits, and we had some fortunate hits,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We blooped a few balls in there. Finally we started to string a few hits together there.” The win marks LSU’s fourth in five games. In his first start this season, junior pitcher Louis Coleman (1-0) pitched six complete innings and struck out seven batters while only allowing one run on four hits. “Going into the game I said I would just try to throw strikes and not walk anybody,” Coleman said. “I didn’t walk anybody so I felt like I did a pretty fair job.” Mainieri said with his performance, Coleman earned another shot to start later in the season. “Coleman was awesome,” Mainieri said. “He pounded the strike zone. I can’t remember us having so many 0-2 counts all year.” Northwestern took an early lead in the first inning when a sacrifice fly by junior leftfielder Justin O’Neal scored sophomore shortstop Denny Choate. After holding LSU hitless for 2 1/3 innings, Northwestern senior pitcher Ryan Campbell’s perfect game was broken up by Tiger centerfielder Leon Landry’s triple down the first base line. The freshman scored later in the inning after a sacrifice fly from freshman shortstop DJ LeMahieu. In the fourth inning, a two-out single from sophomore catcher Sean Ochinko scored sophomore designated hitter Jared Mitchell and put the Tigers up 2-1. LSU tacked on another run in the fifth when senior third baseman Michael Hollander’s sacrifice fly scored LeMahieu and made the score 3-1. A single by Demon senior right fielder Brett Johnson in the seventh scored junior third baseman Joe Urtuzuastegui and brought the Demons back to within one. The Tigers responded in the bottom half by adding seven runs on RBI hits from sophomore leftfielder Blake Dean, Mitchell, Ochinko, junior right fielder Derek Helenihi, Landry and LeMahieu. Northwestern added another run to make the score 10-3 in the eighth when O’Neal doubled down the third base line and sophomore second baseman Chase Lyles scored from second. Helenihi lead the Tigers with three hits and two RBIs in four at-bats. “I didn’t have the best of games on Sunday, so I came out and tried to see the ball a little bit better today,” Helenihi said. “I felt like I could hit any pitch he threw me.” The Tigers wrap up their six-game home stand tonight when they face the University of New Orleans at 6:30 p.m.
—-Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]