The No. 20 LSU baseball team is not just winning games. It’s pulverizing opponents.
The Tigers completed their second straight weekend sweep of the season after dominating Holy Cross, 15-4, on Sunday, marking their fourth straight game scoring at least 10 runs.
Freshman second baseman JaCoby Jones smacked an RBI single through the right side of the infield in the second inning to stretch LSU’s lead to 3-0.
Jones, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, is batting .571 in 2011 after going 6-for-8 this weekend, including a 4-for-4 night Friday.
“You can see why I was so excited about that kid,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri.
The scoring started early in the second inning. A deep fly ball off the bat of sophomore first baseman Alex Edward carried off the wall and brought in two runs.
“The wind definitely helped,” Edward said. “I was thinking [sacrifice] fly.”
Edward raised his season average from .250 to .375 after going 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs.
Junior center fielder Mikie Mahtook smashed his team-leading fifth home run of the season in the third inning on a towering two-run shot to left field to increase LSU’s lead, 5-0.
LSU (7-0) took advantage of three Holy Cross (0-3) throwing errors in the fourth inning, including two by the pitcher on consecutive sacrifice bunts, to score two runs.
“That pitcher, who’s not normally the best athlete out there on defense, has to make a really good play,” Mainieri said. “It’s not surprising to me to see the guy throw a ball away.”
  Gallery: Baseball vs. Holy Cross
 
Senior pitcher Ben Alsup (2-0) gave up two runs in six innings of work. He worked his way out of trouble in the sixth inning when he induced a fly out to center field with two outs and the bases loaded.
The fifth inning was the only inning Alsup retired the Crusaders in order.
“I fell behind counts and walked a couple guys,” Alsup said. “But I kept fighting. It’s imperative to get that next guy and get out of the inning with as minimal damage as possible.”
While the Crusaders’ three errors in the fourth inning only led to two runs, fielding issues cost Holy Cross dearly Saturday.
LSU held a slim 3-2 advantage before scoring seven unearned runs with two outs in the third inning, catapulting the Tigers to a 14-3 win.
The inning could have ended before any damage was done. With Tigers on first and second base, junior shortstop Austin Nola hit a line drive to Holy Cross freshman second baseman Andrew Barry.
The ball popped out of Barry’s glove, and he was too late to get the force out at second base. He then threw wide to first base for one of his three errors of the day, which loaded the bases.
Edward later walked to bring in the first run of the inning, marking the second straight game the Crusaders walked in a run.
LSU stretched the lead to 5-2 on a wild pitch before freshman catcher Ty Ross added two more runs on a blooper to left field.
Jones made it 9-2 with a two-run home run, and sophomore designated hitter Raph Rhymes added an RBI double after junior left fielder Trey Watkins was hit by a pitch.
“That is a good quality [in] a team,” Mainieri said. “When the other team makes a mistake … pounce on it and … smell the blood in the water like a ravenous shark.”
Freshman pitcher Kurt McCune (2-0) threw four scoreless innings after surrendering a two-run home run in the top of the second.
After giving up the home run, McCune struck the next batter out and induced a fly out to Nola to end the second inning.
“That reminded me of [former pitcher] Louis Coleman,” Mainieri said. “That’s what Coleman used to do, he’d give up a home run and strike the next batter out.”
LSU’s middle infield was the story Friday night as Jones and Nola combined for six hits and four RBIs in LSU’s 12-3 victory.
Freshman pitcher Kevin Gausman (1-0) gave up three runs, including a two-run home run, struck out seven and walked three Crusaders.
“I’m just getting used to the atmosphere that’s here on Friday nights,” Gausman said. “It’s pretty crazy.”
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