There was an obvious shift in plate approach for LSU.
It’s been a while since the Tigers have notched a run in the first inning of a game, but against Xavier, they did just that.
LSU took down the Musketeers 4-0,thanks largely in part to the dominance its offense possessed in the first two innings of the game.
In the bottom of the first inning, catcher Brady Neal doubled to left field. As the ball glided down the outfield wall, second baseman Steven Milam scored the first run of the ball game.
Designated hitter Hayden Travinksi followed suit with a sacrifice-fly to center field, which scored Neal.
The heat from LSU’s lineup showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon as it headed into the bottom of the second inning.
Shortstop Michael Braswell III roped a triple to center field, an RBI that scored left fielder Mac Bingham.
The freshman phenom, Milam, doubled through to left center soon after, scoring Braswell.
“He’s confident,” head coach Jay Johnson said about Milam. “He’s well-skilled. I think he knows his swing and I think he can make adjustments.”
In just two innings, LSU had seized a sizable lead early on, and for a moment, it seemed that that offensive momentum would continue.
The fire in the lineup, however, died just as quickly for the Tigers as it had begun to burn.
LSU totalled seven hits on the game, all of which came from the bottom of the third inning or sooner. After that, the stat sheet looked empty. Offensively it did, at least.
With an equally nonexistent offensive performance for the Musketeers, the game quickly became a Luke Holman masterclass in the art of pitching.
For the second time in a row, Holman got the first start of the weekend.
Credited with the win, the junior Alabama transfer went for six innings. He faced 22 batters, striking out 10 and walking one. 59 of the 97 pitches that he threw were strikes. Holman also hit two batters.
“I felt good the first inning,” Holman said, “and then around the third I lost command of the fastball, it just wasn’t there. But the slider really came into play today. I was able to throw that whenever I wanted and get away from it.”
Christian Little came in as relief for Holman. He threw 1.2 innings and allowed three hits. He struck out one two and walked one.
Griffin Herring came in to finish the game for the Tigers. In the 1.1 innings pitched, Herring struck out three Musketeers.
“The story tonight is the pitching, and it’s a little more in depth than just the pitching,” Johnson said.
Heading into the second game of the series, Johnson is surely hoping that his team’s storyline develops into one about hitting as well.
Fans will get an idea of how that chapter is continuing to unfold on Saturday, March 8th, at 5:00 p.m., when LSU takes on Xavier once again in Alex Box Stadium.
