The LSU baseball team shut down Florida’s offense in the first two games of their weekend series.But the No. 9 Gators showed why they’re a top-10 team and got a little taste of revenge Sunday, lighting the No. 3 Tigers’ pitching staff up for 15 hits in a 9-3 win in front of 6,318 fans in Alex Box Stadium.”We just didn’t play very well,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We had a couple of tough breaks early in the game when we were on defense that got us into a hole. Their pitcher … we just didn’t hit him very well. We just didn’t seem like anything could click today for us.” Despite the setback, the Tigers still sit in sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference heading into the final regular season weekend.”Going into the year, you just hope that you can go into the last weekend of the season controlling your own destiny, and we do,” Mainieri said.Florida (35-17, 17-10) scored only one run and collected 10 hits in first two games of the series but took a 3-0 lead in the third inning that the Tigers (38-14, 18-9) never recovered from.LSU sophomore Austin Ross, who took the loss and pitched 4 2/3 innings and four runs while striking out five, loaded the bases in the third inning, much like he did in the first.But Ross didn’t get away unscathed the second time around, as Florida junior shortstop Mike Mooney scored on a single by Florida senior third baseman Brandon McArthur.The next batter, junior right fielder Jonathan Pigott, singled to left and plated two more runs to give the Gators a 3-0 advantage.”Not everybody pitches at the level of [sophomore Anthony] Ranaudo and [senior Louis] Coleman,” Mainieri said. “Those guys are both going to be major leaguers. Austin, I didn’t think, pitched very poorly.”LSU senior Derek Helenihi started the fourth inning in right field, replacing junior Jared Mitchell.Mainieri said Mitchell cramped up because of the heat, and the switch isn’t a move he’s looking to make permanently.”I had to take him out. He couldn’t walk, much less run,” Mainieri said.LSU got its first hit and run in the bottom of the fourth inning with junior Ryan Schimpf’s solo homer sailed over the left-field fence. But the home run didn’t do much to rattle Florida pitcher Nick Maronde.After giving up the run, the freshman struck out LSU junior designated hitter Blake Dean, sophomore shortstop DJ LeMahieu and freshman third baseman Tyler Hanover to keep the score 3-1 in the Gators’ favor.LSU stayed within striking distance and entered the seventh inning down, 4-2. But sophomore relief pitcher Chad Jones gave up three runs – two of them earned – in the inning.It was Jones’ third appearance in relief this season but his first time entering the game with the Tigers trailing.Senior Buzzy Haydel also struggled in his third relief appearance of the season, giving up two hits and two earned runs.Sophomore catcher Micah Gibbs, who went 2-for-3 on the day, said it’ll be interesting to see how the newest members of the LSU bullpen bounce back from Sunday’s performance.”Chad just kept throwing strikes like he usually does,” Gibbs said. “I think only one of the [hits] was hard hit. It’s just one of those things to see how he bounces back. We’re definitely going to need him next weekend.”NOTES: Actual attendance for the three-game series was an Alex Box Stadium record 24,479 … LSU honored its seven seniors during a pregame ceremony … Freshmen Mikie Mahtook and Tyler Hanover both went 0-for-4 on the day—-Contact Tyler Batiste at [email protected]To read Tyler’s blog from the game, click here.