In his first game as an LSU pitcher, redshirt freshman Jake Latz’s night unraveled fairly quickly.
McNeese State scored early and often, as the Cowboys (19-11,10-5 Southland) overpowered No. 9 LSU (21-11, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) 7-0 in Alex Box Stadium on Tuesday night.
“There is not much really to say about tonight,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We just got whipped in every aspect of the game. They played great, we could not have played any worse.”
Latz was scheduled to start in today’s game against Grambling but was pushed to start yesterday due to weather concerns. He spent more than a year recovering from a shoulder surgery before lasting 1.1 innings and threw 36 pitches for the Tigers in his debut.
Latz started strong, getting two outs early for the Tigers, but gave up a solo homerun to McNeese senior third baseman Connor Crane in the first inning.
In the top of the second, Latz allowed two leadoff hits before giving up a sacrifice fly that brought in a second run.
“Coming out, I felt a high to be back on the field for the first time since senior year of high school,” Latz said. “It was a wake up call, being introduced to college baseball. I have got to be better.”
LSU sophomore Doug Norman was able to get through the second inning after Latz, without giving up another run, but he allowed two hits and one RBI in the top of the third.
In the top of the fourth, junior Russell Reynolds, who was scheduled to start until Latz was moved into the starting sport, took over and conceded a double on the lead off at-bat after sophomore left fielder Beau Jordan lost sight of the ball in the outfield.
On the next at bat, another sacrifice fly-ball scored McNeese’s fourth run.
“It was twilight,” Jordan said. “When that happens you just have got to yell, ‘I cannot see it.’ [Fraley] yelled that he could not see it, and when that happens, your best option is to sit back and wait for it. When it came down, I was nowhere close.”
While LSU’s pitchers struggled, McNeese starting pitcher junior Austin Sanders encountered few problems, as he burnt through LSU’s order for six innings, allowing one hit and five walks.
The Cowboys further took advantage of the Tigers’ struggles and added another run and two more hits in the top of the sixth to close Reynolds’ night.
LSU responded with its first hit of the night from freshman right fielder Antoine Duplantis in the bottom of the sixth, but Sanders kept the Tigers from getting on the board.
Junior Parker Bugg entered the game in the top of the seventh, but was unable to stop the bleeding as McNeese added two more hits and one run to go up six scores.
The Cowboys allowed one more hit from LSU for the remainder of the game, but McNeese managed to bring in two more hits and a run in the top of the ninth to close out the game.
The Tigers were outhit 13-2.
The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for LSU against the Cowboys, dating back to 2000. It was the Tigers’ first loss to McNeese in Baton Rouge since 1994.
It also served as McNeese’s third victory versus a ranked team this season and its first win against a top-ten team since beating LSU in 2000.
LSU will have little time to rebound from the loss, as it is scheduled to host Grambling State (15-16, 11-4 Southwestern Athletic Conference) at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
However, the game may be cancelled due to severe weather expected to continue throughout Wednesday afternoon.
LSU has never lost a matchup against Grambling State, leading the series 5-0 all time by an average of 5.8 runs.
With the short turnaround, the players said they are not scheduling the Grambling matchup as a premature victory.
“Every time we go out there, we need to play how we know we can play,” said junior shortstop Kramer Robertson. “Because baseball is a funny game. If you don’t play well, you get embarrassed.”
Grambling State currently sits atop its division in the SWAC and is on a three-game winning streak.
Mainieri has not yet decided who will start for the game on the mound, if it is to be played.
“I don’t know,” Mainieri said. “I have not thought of it yet.”

Gallery • 6 Photos

Wingate Jones

LSU freshman outfielder Antoine Duplantis (20) catches a pop fly during LSU's 7-0 defeat on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at Alex Box Stadium