No. 2 LSU (6-0) defeated Bryant (2-3) 17-8 on another dreary and rainy night in Alex Box Stadium on Saturday.
The usual suspects like junior shortstop Josh Smith and senior right fielder Antoine Duplantis came through for LSU as they tore through the Bryant pitching staff. Smith opened the game with a single and went 1-for-2 and two runs before being pulled heading into the fourth inning.
LSU opened the game with three-straight hits by the top of the lineup in a 3-run first aided by errors. In the second inning, sophomore catcher Brock Mathis lead off with a solo home run to left field, and the Tigers added three more runs in the inning, which were all once again aided by errors. Through the first two innings, four of LSU’s first seven runs were unearned — in total seven of LSU’s 17 runs on the night were unearned.
Then in the third, Duplantis hit his third home run of the season to extend the lead to double-digits as LSU went up 11-1. The senior finished 3-of-5 with 6 RBIs and is up to 17 on the season.
However, it was the noticeable resurgence of junior center fielder Zach Watson that stood out on Saturday night. LSU coach Paul Mainieri moved Watson into the 2-hole after he started the season 3-for-20 (.150) in an attempt to jumpstart the former freshman All-American.
“It was kind of just sending him a message that I believe in him, don’t get down on yourself,” Mainieri said. “I’ve seen him doing it for two years, I saw you do it this summer with the USA team, and you know he’s been having a rough time but we’re only five games into the season.
“When you’re going to stick with them you have to show them you believe in them.”
Watson said one the adjustments he made with hitting coach Sean Ochinko was bringing his hands back further behind his shoulder in his stance and it paid off. He delivered with an RBI on two hits in two at-bats and a walk in three innings of play before getting substituted for freshman Giovanni DiGiacomo.
“The whole team was sitting there encouraging me, saying ‘hey, look everybody goes through those slumps,'” Watson said. “The team helped me out a lot just to keep my head in it and keep a straight face for today.”
Freshman Landon Marceaux made his second career start Saturday. After a stellar first three innings, he gave up four runs in the fourth inning on three hits and two walks.
Despite the rough fourth, Marceaux finished strong with seven consecutive outs before sophomore Devin Fontenot came in for relief in the sixth inning. Marceaux’s final line read 5.2 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 5 hits allowed, a walk and 4 strikeouts.
The LSU offense continued to pour on runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Sophomore third baseman Hal Hughes picked up two RBIs in the fifth, and Duplantis added another two with a single to right before sophomore designated hitter Saul Garza’s sacrifice fly to make the score 16-5.
From there LSU coasted, pulling the majority of its starters. Freshman Riggs Threadgill pitched the final inning to seal the LSU win.
No. 2 LSU blasts Bryant 17-8
By Brandon Adam
February 23, 2019
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