LSU earned its first win against a ranked opponent, beating No. 19 Dallas Baptist on Wednesday.
The Tigers started off consistent and composed but were challenged defensively in multiple innings. The depth and poise of the bullpen, in combination with stout offense, was enough to maintain the lead and secure a victory.
The story of the game wasn’t huge hits or momentum killing errors but a slow and steady process of clean baseball. LSU had a hit in all but two innings.
The offense got off to a hot start in the top of the first when a double by Jared Jones sent Derek Curiel around the bases to take a 1-0 lead.
That would last until the fifth inning, when three walks, an error and five hits scored four more for the Tigers. All of those runs came with two out and was headlined by a Daniel Dickinson two-run homer.
Transfer pitcher Connor Ware also started hot, setting the tone in a stellar four innings, striking out six of the 13 batters he faced.
Ware battled back from several 3-0 counts before running out of gas in the bottom of the fifth. Dallas Baptist responded immediately to LSU, getting on the board with a home run to start the inning.
Transfer Zac Cowan entered the game in relief of Ware. The relief effort was not flawless, Cowan allowed a two-run home run before getting out of the inning. Dallas Baptist shrunk the lead to two.
The Tigers kept plugging away, tacking on two more runs in the top of the sixth inning, helping to support Cowan as he found his footing on the mound. A Curiel double, a Hernandez sacrifice fly and a couple errors put LSU up to seven.
Cowan quickly straightened out, striking out three batters in his final two innings of relief.
Cowan was pulled for freshman Cooper Williams in the eighth, but ended up giving up two walks to start the inning.
Just three innings prior, it seemed LSU could blow the game out of the water with a strong, opportunistic offense. Suddenly, two runners were on and the lead was insecure.
In came Casan Evans to take care of business.
After Evans struck out one, Jared Jones turned a potential right-field line drive into an inning-ending double play.
Evans’ composure remained in the ninth, striking out two and earning the save as LSU won 7-3.
His reliability showed up when the team needed it, throwing two hitless innings. So too did Cowan, who threw a demanding three innings and allowed just a pair of runs.
This versatility of a bullpen that can deliver in high-pressure situations, particularly in a midweek game against a strong opponent, is the type of depth that top teams have.
The offense cannot go unmentioned, earning nine more hits than the opposing team and getting 10 free bases off patient at bats.
Curiel reached base on five of his six appearances at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Curiel, Jones, Dickinson, Brown and Milam all finished the game with multiple hits.
In its toughest challenge this season, poise and success in different ways earned LSU the 7-3 win over Dallas Baptist.
They begin the Frisco College Baseball Classic on Friday at 2 p.m. against Kansas State.
