It seemed as though the Tigers bunt-and-sacrifice game plan might cost them against winless University of Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday night in Alex Box Stadium.
Through six innings, LSU had stranded four runners on third base and had just two runs.
But after the Indians took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth, LSU used a five-run burst in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to an 8-5 victory.
“We didn’t break the chain,” sophomore shortstop Michael Hollander said. “We just did what we’re taught every day in practice – one guy after another, working hard [and] hitting the ball hard.”
UL-Monroe second baseman Travis Drader helped the Indians jump out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.
With a runner on first base, Drader hit a two-run home run over “The Intimidator” sign in right field.
The Tigers answered with one run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 2-1.
After sophomore first baseman Jordan Mayer walked to lead off the inning, Hollander, who went 2-for-4 and two RBIs, doubled to right-center field to score Mayer.
“Smoke [Laval] told us before the game that they were going to be our toughest competition even though they were 0-10,” Hollander said. “And they definitely were.”
Junior right fielder Quinn Stewart capped off the Tigers’ night offensively with a solo home run into the left-field bleachers in the eighth inning.
Freshman Louis Coleman started the game for the Tigers and gave up three runs on five hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Coach Smoke Laval said Coleman looked as though he was trying to get batters out by chance instead of pitching competitively.
“He mislocated some balls,” Laval said. “When you mislocate it doesn’t make any difference with aluminum bats.”
LSU used several pitchers in the game to keep UL-Monroe’s hitters at-bay for the remaining four innings.
Freshman Ryan Byrd, sophomore Michael Bonura, junior Jonathan Wilhite and seniors Chase Dardar and Edgar Ramirez all pitched for the Tigers.
Dardar was credited with the win after pitching two innings and yielding no runs and two hits.
“I wanted Coleman to try and get the win and take me deeper,” Laval said. “The plan wasn’t to see them all but it was nice it worked out that way.”
Over the Mardi Gras holidays, the Tigers swept a three-game series from Temple.
The weekend was highlighted by junior pitchers Clay Dirks and Derik Olvey, who combined to allow just one run in 17 innings pitched.
The Tigers played a double-header on Sunday because of inclement weather on Saturday. LSU won the three games by the scores of 4-1, 9-0 and 14-4, respectively.
 
 
Contact Kyle Whitfield at [email protected]