LSU thrashed 20 hits and took advantage of six Loyola University errors to beat the Wolfpack, 21-6, Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium.
The game was called after a Will Harris lead-off home run in the eighth inning which propelled LSU to a 15-run lead — and triggered an agreement LSU and Loyola made before the game.
According to the agreement, the two schools would not continue if either team was leading by 15 runs after seven innings. It was the first time the Tigers have scored 20 runs since a 2001 game against conference foe Auburn.
The game will count as a win for LSU but will not be figured in when the NCAA calculates the Tigers’ rating percentage index (RPI) since LU was a NAIA opponent.
Fives were wild for the No. 6 Tigers (33-16-1) on this night, as LSU scored five runs in the first, sixth and seventh innings. Loyola (18-33) would get as close as 8-5 in the top of the fifth but never threatened after that point.
Center fielder J.C. Holt led the hit parade with a 4-for-5 outing that included four RBIs and two doubles. Shortstop Aaron Hill was 2-for-4 with his 23rd double on the year and three RBIs.
“I kind of did some things with my stance,” Holt said. “I am starting to relax my hands and let the bat do all the work like I did last year. The last couple weeks I’ve been swinging the bat well.”
Second baseman Blake Gill and left fielder Bruce Sprowl added two RBIs apiece and right fielder Jon Zeringue was 4-for-4 and scored three runs.
“I’m just seeing the ball good, hitting stuff on the ground and finding holes right now,” Zeringue said. “I’ll take it.”
Jake Tompkins improved to 2-5 on the year, despite just pitching three innings. Tompkins made the most of his work, leaving the game after three perfect innings and four strikeouts.
Tompkins said he worked on some drills after a disappointing outing against Tulane last Tuesday.
“A lot of things I specifically worked on paid off,” Tompkins said. “I worked on getting the ball down. I was down almost the entire [time I pitched].”
After reliever Greg Smith got roughed up for five earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings, Jordan Faircloth and Jason Determann combined for 3 1/3 innings of two-hit, one-run relief.
While Coach Smoke Laval served a suspension for a clerical error that LSU reported to the Southeastern Conference, hitting coach Turtle Thomas and pitching coach Brady Wiederhold served as co-managers.
Thomas handled post game questions from reporters calling it, “The Smoke Laval show,” jokingly. Thomas said he’s now 3-0 as a manager — including two games he said he won at Miami University when the Hurricanes’ head coach was tossed.
“I might be 3-0 in my career,” Thomas joked. “I’m a pretty sure thing.”
LSU will look to extend its slim SEC lead over Auburn when it hosts the Plainsmen beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday.