The No. 16 LSU baseball team narrowly missed an opportunity for a sweep last weekend.
It wasn’t going to let this one slip away in front of an actual weekend crowd of 27,194 — the largest in Alex Box Stadium history.
No. 6 Cal State Fullerton (8-6) committed at least three errors for the third-straight day and was swept Sunday for the first time since 2008 as LSU (15-1) buried the Titans, 10-2.
“I’m just so proud of the kids,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “They showed tremendous composure and poise in a very highly promoted, highly touted series.”
The Tigers went ahead, 2-0, in the first inning for the third-straight day.
“Skip Bertman always refers to that as the inevitable two,” Mainieri said. “Somebody always seems to give up two runs in the first inning.”
Fullerton committed three of its four errors in the bottom of the second inning as LSU poured on five runs and chased junior pitcher Colin O’Connell.
Junior first baseman Grant Dozar and junior catcher Jordy Snikeris both reached on errors to start the inning.
Dozar and Snikeris pulled off a double steal, a rare feat for a first baseman and catcher. Freshman second baseman JaCoby Jones poked a single to right field to extend LSU’s lead to 3-0.
Snikeris crossed home plate soon after as O’Connell launched the ball over first base and into the stands, trying to pick off Jones.
Junior center fielder Mikie Mahtook belted an RBI single to left field after a sacrifice fly brought in another run, and junior shortstop Austin Nola squirted an RBI single past junior second baseman Anthony Trajano, stretching LSU’s lead, 7-0.
“When you’ve got a team on your heels, you just need to go for the blow that gives you the good lead,” Mainieri said. “Our kids seem to have got a knack for that.”
O’Connell, who had a 0.82 ERA entering the game, surrendered four hits, six runs and his first walk of the season in 1 1/3 innings.
“Anytime you get the starter out early, that’s always big,” said sophomore designated hitter Raph Rhymes, who was one of six Tigers with a stolen base Sunday.
The Titans chipped away with one run in the fifth inning and another in the seventh inning, but the lead was insurmountable.
Mahtook brought in the ninth and 10th Tiger runs in the eighth inning on a rope up the middle, scoring junior left fielder Trey Watkins and Rhymes.
“You have to keep on plugging away throughout the game and not get complacent,” Mahtook said.
Senior pitcher Ben Alsup (3-1) surrendered two runs in 6 2/3 innings to get the win, and sophomore pitcher Jimmy Dykstra tossed two strikeouts in two hitless innings to end the game.
Friday night’s opener contained more stellar starting pitching as freshman Kurt McCune gave up one run in six innings, and junior pitcher Matty Ott closed the 7-6 comeback win to become LSU’s all-time saves leader with 30.
“It’s definitely something cool to get it in such an exciting game like this,” Ott said. “It’s something I’ll never forget.”
LSU surrendered four combined runs in the sixth and seventh innings to fall behind, 4-3, and retaliated with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After the Tigers took a 5-4 lead on a single and a catcher’s interference, Dozar looped a two-run Texas Leaguer to left field for his first hit of the season.
“I just tried to get the bat on it,” Dozar said. “With the infield playing in, I knew it wasn’t going to take much.”
The Tigers followed suit Saturday with a 7-6 win after another strong eighth inning.
Fullerton tied the game, 6-6, in the top of the eighth inning before junior third baseman Tyler Hanover drew a bases-loaded, full-count walk to bring home the eventual winning run for the Tigers.
“It was a total team effort,” Mainieri said. “They all battled tooth and nail right to the very end.”
Follow Rowan Kavner on Twitter@TDR_Kavner.
 
 
 
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