The No. 17 LSU baseball team knew Tulane wouldn’t back down at home after beating the Tigers, 9-1, at Turchin Stadium last season.
The Green Wave (18-11) took a one-run lead in the fifth inning Tuesday night before LSU (21-8) snagged it back with an eighth-inning surge and won, 7-5, in New Orleans.
“They give us everything they have every time we play them,” said junior shortstop Austin Nola. “To come over here and get a win is huge for us.”
LSU tied the game, 5-5, with a safety squeeze by sophomore right fielder Mason Katz in the top of the seventh inning, scoring freshman second baseman JaCoby Jones.
Junior transfer pitcher Tyler Jones tossed a four-pitch walk to start the bottom of the seventh inning, and Tulane put men on the corners with one out after a sacrifice bunt and an infield single.
In came LSU sophomore pitcher Kevin Berry, who induced an inning-ending double play from the first hitter he saw to keep the game tied.
“[Berry] has been an outstanding pitcher for us at the end of the game,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We saw that last year when we played [New Orleans] and he did it to us. He’s got great poise, and he’s got great control.”
After starting the eighth inning with a groundout, the Tigers jumped on the Green Wave with two singles before Jones added an RBI single to give LSU a 6-5 lead.
Junior center fielder Mikie Mahtook, who snapped his 14-game hitting streak, was intentionally walked for Nola, who hit a sacrifice fly for another LSU insurance run.
Mahtook smashed the ball hard all night but couldn’t find a hole to keep the streak alive.
Berry was flawless in the eighth inning putting the Green Wave down in order.
LSU nearly added another run in bizarre fashion in the top of the ninth inning. Sophomore left fielder Alex Edward walked and stole second base before junior first baseman Grant Dozar hit a deep fly to center field.
The ball was caught at the warning track, and Edward tried to tag and score from second base but was thrown out at the plate.
Mainieri elected to stay with Berry instead of using junior closer Matty Ott in the ninth inning. Berry walked a batter on four pitches to start the final frame before forcing a popout and a double play to end the game.
Freshman pitcher Joe Broussard made his first start of the season, giving up four runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Two of the runs charged to Broussard came when Jones surrendered a two-run single up the middle after entering for Broussard, who put two on with one out, in the fourth inning.
Jones allowed one run in three innings of relief.
 
 
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]