Three LSU freshmen stood tall with the LSU baseball team’s series with Georgia at stake in what may have been the Tigers’ biggest game so far this season.
Thanks to five combined RBI by freshmen Tyler Hanover and Mikie Mahtook, No. 2 LSU took a two-run lead into the ninth inning where freshman Matty Ott struck out the side to secure a 7-5 game three victory for the Tigers against the No. 6 Bulldogs to go along with a series win.
“I’m so proud of our players for the great effort they gave this weekend,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri in a news release. “I thought we really improved as a team against a great Georgia ball club. Georgia really brought out the best in us, and I thought it was an outstanding weekend for the Tigers.”
Both teams scored in the first inning with Georgia opening a 2-1 lead.
Sophomore catcher Micah Gibbs hit a sacrifice fly to start the scoring for LSU. The Bulldogs fired back with an RBI double by first baseman Rich Poythress and a solo home run by designated hitter Bryce Massanari.
LSU took a 4-2 lead in a three-run fourth inning. Sophomore outfielder Leon Landry and Hanover each had RBI doubles in the inning.
But the Bulldogs fired back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead.
Center fielder Matt Cerione sparked the run for Georgia and hit a three-run home run off LSU senior starter Louis Coleman.
LSU took the lead right back in the sixth inning on Mahtook’s two-run home run to left field that scored sophomore shortstop DJ LeMahieu.
The fifth inning runs were all the Bulldogs got off Coleman as the Tigers senior dominated the second half of the game and pitched scoreless sixth, seventh and eighth innings before handing the ball to Ott in the ninth.
“I’m so proud of our players for the great effort they gave this weekend,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I thought we really improved as a team against a great Georgia ball club. Georgia really brought out the best in us, and I thought it was an outstanding weekend for the Tigers.”
The Tigers are now 8-4 in the Southeastern Conference with the win and have extended their streak of victorious SEC series to eight.
 
—-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]