Twenty two runs on 22 hits.
That’s the amount of damage LSU opened its Southeastern Conference opener with en route to a 22-9 defeat of the Georgia Bulldogs.
LSU scored more than one run in six innings, and only failed to score at all in the eighth inning.
“We were just relentless from the bottom of the first to the bottom of the eighth inning,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “We just kept having great at-bat, after great at-bat, after great at bat. Every time they scored we answered.”
Senior shortstop Kramer Robertson and sophomore outfielder Antoine Duplantis finished the game a combined 11-for-11 with eight RBIs. Robertson had three doubles and two singles, and Duplantis had five singles and a double.
Duplantis’ six hits set the LSU record for hits in one game.
“I honestly had no idea,” Duplantis said. “I went up there to my last at bat thinking it’d be pretty cool to get six hits. When I heard that it was the record, I thought that was cool. It was a great feeling.”
It wasn’t the best start for junior pitcher Alex Lange. In the first inning, Georgia was able to rally four runs off of two hits against Lange to jump ahead 4-0.
Lange (3-1) walked Georgia’s leadoff hitter Tucker Maxwell, and gave up an RBI double into center field from Georgia’s Cam Shepherd that flew over LSU center fielder Zach Watson’s head.
Lange walked another batter, and three more runs came home for Georgia when Will Campbell drilled a home run into left field.
Lange finished the night pitching 4 ⅓ innings, giving up eight hits, eight runs, four walks and seven strikeouts.
“He’ll bounce back,” Mainieri said. “I’ve never seen an athlete that’s more mentally tough than Alex Lange. His pride was hurt tonight, but he’ll get back to work tomorrow and get ready for next Friday against Florida.”
LSU rang Georgia’s starting pitcher Andrew Gist for five hits, six earned runs and three walks in just 1 ⅓ innings of work. Entering Friday night, Gist had only given up four earned runs in eighteen games for the Bulldogs.
LSU junior pitcher Austin Bain earned the win in relief. He pitched 2 ⅔ innings, giving up four hits, a run, two walks and three strikeouts.
Every batter in the LSU lineup registered an RBI in the Tigers’ first 20-run game since 2014.
“I guess we just locked in,” Robertson said. “Sometimes you have nights like this. It’s a weird sport. It’s baseball. Sometimes you have nights where you have 22 hits in eight innings, and some nights you can’t get anything to fall.”
The Tigers face Georgia again on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with senior pitcher Jared Poche’ starting on the mound.
