It took LSU one inning to take all the drama out of its 2004 home opener against UL-Monroe on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers slapped five hits, scored six runs and sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning, then cruised the rest of the night to a 7-1 win over the Indians before 3,656 fans.
“We had a real good first inning,” said center fielder J.C. Holt. “We just didn’t swing the bats that well through the rest of the game. We were kind of disappointed about that. But it was a real great first inning. We hope we can start every game that way.”
Holt set the tone for the Tigers (3-1) in the first inning, leading off with a walk and coming around to score on a Ryan Patterson double to left field.
“The first at-bat is always important,” Holt said. “That just kind of sets the tone when the lead-off man can get on. We started to swing the bats well and things went into play.”
Holt came to bat later in the inning and roped a bases-loaded, two-run double that gave LSU a 6-0 lead. Holt went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
“When you have a lead-off hitter as good as J.C. Holt who makes the pitcher throw a lot of pitches, that helps the team see those pitches and get adjusted to the pitcher,” said designated hitter Nick Stavinoha, who had an RBI-single in the first. “J.C. did a good job of fighting and drawing the walk. That kind of set the tone for the first inning. People put the ball in play and hit the ball hard. We were able to get some stuff to fall. Once you get up by that much, it makes it tough for the other team to come back.”
The early lead was enough for LSU starting pitcher Michael Bonura (1-0), who worked five innings and allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts in picking up the win.
“[Bonura] competed better today,” said LSU coach Smoke Laval. “He wasn’t afraid to get hit. He changed his arm slot in the fourth and either got tired or thought he was going to pitch and make the ball move. We’re going to rectify that.”
Reliever Greg Smith pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh. Collin Smith worked a scoreless eighth. Will Harris loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs and was able to work out of the jam without any runs scoring.
The Tigers added their last run in the fifth on an RBI-single from shortstop Matt Horwath. Both LSU and ULM left 12 runners on base.
Laval was pleased with early offensive effort from the Tigers, but was disappointed with the lack of focus over the final eight innings.
“We were footloose and fancy free,” Laval said. “The game is never over. If you ever want to learn how to stay in a ball game and stay focused, there was no better time than tonight, and we weren’t able to stay focused.”
The Indians (1-1) just felt lucky to be at the ball park that night.
On the way to Baton Rouge earlier Tuesday, the team’s bus got into an accident 40 miles north of the capital city on Highway 61 and was stuck in the mud for nearly three hours.
ULM coach Brad Holland said the experience was very frightening.
“It puts life in perspective,” Holland said. “The only reason that bus did not flip is because of the grace of God. We slid 150 to 200 feet down an embankment. The bus driver did a hell of a job to keep the bus on its wheels and not flip. We’re very thankful and we remember this is just a ball game.”
ULM pitcher Matt Green took the loss. The Indians scored their only run in the third inning on a Ben Jones RBI-ground out.
Laval, who coached the Indians from 1994 to 2000 before coming to LSU, improved his record to 6-0 against his old team.
“ULM is a very good ball-club,” Laval said. “They will win or be right in that Southland Conference when it’s all said and done.”