It must be something in the Georgia red that gets the LSU baseball team going.
Just one year removed from a home sweep of the Bulldogs, the Tigers pulled off another three-game sweep this weekend, this time on the road in Athens, Ga.
No. 16 LSU (16-7-1, 5-0-1) trounced Georgia in the first two games of the series and came from two runs down in the final three innings of the series finale to take over sole possession of first place in both the Southeastern Conference overall standings and the SEC’s Western Division.
True freshman catcher Matt Liuzza, now a starter due to a season-ending injury to Dustin Weaver a week ago, smashed two home runs on the weekend.
His leadoff homer in the top of the ninth Sunday gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead and provided enough run support for pitcher Nate Bumstead.
Bumstead, who head coach Smoke Laval inserted into the weekend rotation after senior Jake Tompkins struggled in the Sunday position, threw eight strong innings. Bumstead struck out a career-high eight hitters and allowed seven hits.
“He threw very well,” Laval said. “He just kept it close so we could break it open.”
Ironically Tompkins came out of the bullpen in the ninth to notch his first save of the year. Tompkins is familiar with closing out games since the senior had four saves a year ago.
Georgia took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. The Tigers then responded with a two-out rally, putting up a two-spot in the seventh.
Liuzza singled with one out to begin the comeback. After left fielder Bruce Sprowl was retired, center fielder J.C. Holt singled to center.
Shortstop Aaron Hill, who earlier in the game could not produce in a bases-loaded, no out situation, singled to center to score Liuzza from second. Ivan Naccarata then blooped a single over the head of Georgia second baseman Marshall Szabo to pull LSU even at a score of 2-2.
Earlier in the series starting pitchers Brian Wilson and Bo Pettit were aided with solid run support. LSU scored six runs in the first inning of Friday’s contest as Wilson improved his record to 5-2. The Tigers then provided Saturday starter Pettit (4-0) with a five-run second inning and a seven-run sixth.
“The offense stepped it up a little bit,” Laval said. “I wish I had the formula because I would have plugged it in opening weekend.”
Last season the Tigers scored 35 runs in the three game set. LSU pounded out 25 runs in the first two contests Friday and Saturday in winning both by the scores of 12-5 and 13-6, respectively.
The Tigers will return to the diamond tomorrow at Zephyr Field in New Orleans to face UNO. LSU will return to SEC play with a road series in Tuscaloosa, Ala., beginning on Friday against Alabama.