It wasn’t perfect, but the LSU baseball team will take a win any way it can.
The Tigers took advantage of four Alcorn State errors and used six pitchers in a 7-1 victory Wednesday night to snap their second four-game losing streak since beginning Southeastern Conference play.
Redshirt freshman pitcher Forrest Garrett started the game and surrendered just one hit in three innings in his longest appearance of the season.
Garrett, who underwent Tommy John surgery in spring 2010, held Alcorn State scoreless in 1 2/3 innings in his only other start this season.
LSU scored five runs in five innings against Alcorn State senior pitcher Brent Blaum, who actually lowered his ERA with the performance.
Blaum had a 12.49 ERA and was 1-3 with a .403 opponents’ batting average entering the game.
The Tigers jumped on Blaum immediately for two runs in the first inning. Sophomore designated hitter Raph Rhymes walked to start the game, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by junior third baseman Tyler Hanover and scored on an RBI double by Mikie Mahtook.
Mahtook stole his 51st career steal taking second base, tying him with former second baseman Todd Walker at ninth all-time in the category. He scored the second run of the inning on a bloop single to right field by junior shortstop Austin Nola.
Freshman pitcher Nick Rumbelow entered for Garrett in the fourth inning and was helped immediately by Hanover who dove toward third base on a grounder and fired across the diamond to record Rumbelow’s first out.
Rumbelow induced a 3-6-3 double play to end the fourth inning and put the Braves down in order in the fifth inning before running into trouble in the sixth inning.
He walked speedy senior outfielder Brandon Hollins, who stole second and third base before Rumbelow threw a strikeout and walked another batter.
Freshman Samuel Peterson entered and allowed an RBI infield single as the Braves recorded their first and only run of the game before Peterson sat down the next three Alcorn State batters.
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]