Prior LSU’s 9-4 win against University of New Orleans, coach Paul Mainieri indicated he would reinitiate the “Jack Wholestaff” pitching approach, allowing several of his relievers to get work before Southeastern Conference plays opens up.
Ten LSU pitchers later, including at least one different pitcher in every inning, the No. 6 Tigers (13-3) are now 10 games above .500 going into a series with Alabama.
Backed by four straight scoreless innings by four LSU relievers, junior designated hitter Jordan Romero’s two-out, two-run single busted open a tie game in the bottom of the fifth enroute to a third straight midweek win on Wednesday night at Alex Box Stadium.
With help from consecutive three-run innings in the fifth and sixth, the Tigers notched at least nine runs for seventh time in the last nine games.
The LSU carousel of relievers, nine of which were right handers, had some rocky moments against the Privateers, but the pitchers who allowed runners in scoring position either eluded the threat or kept the damage to a minimum.
“There were a couple innings there that were a bit nerve-racking,” Mainieri said. “I’m not really sure how we got out of the inning with [sophomore right-hander Austin] Bain pitching…I kind of took a deep breath after that inning and said, ‘We drew that up just like we wanted.” But some of the guys did a really good job. It worked out well.”
But Mainieri’s plan appeared to be foiling in the first two innings against a team coached by his former player, Blake Dean.
After he was called back to the plate by home plate umpire Jason McLester, thinking he had seen ball four, UNO junior third baseman Dakota Dean skied a two-out solo home run over the left field wall against LSU junior starting pitcher Alden Cartwright.
The LSU bats responded immediately in the bottom half of the first as junior shortstop Kramer Robertson led off with a line drive up the middle and quickly swiped second and third base. Junior center fielder Jake Fraley drew a walk on the next at-bat, joining Robertson in scoring position with the third stolen base of the inning.
Extending his hitting streak to all 16 games of the season, freshman right fielder Antoine Duplantis slapped an RBI single into left field. In the last 20 seasons, Duplantis is now tied for the third-longest hitting streak among LSU freshman, trailing only Blake and former LSU shortstop Alex Bregman.
Though he’s not really focused on it, Duplantis appreciates his name being mentioned with other LSU greats.
“That’s nice,” Duplantis said. “That’s a part of coming to LSU, too. If you play well, you’re in the company of some really good players, as well.”
Though he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, sophomore first baseman Bryce Jordan pushed across LSU’s second run of the frame before UNO freshman starting pitcher Bryan Warzek escaped the jam. Recently recovering from an ankle injury, Bryce was making his first start at first base in five games.
Mainieri went to sophomore right-hander Doug Norman for the second inning, and he faced his own trouble in his one-inning stint. After conceding a one-out walk, senior first baseman Preston Marsh advanced to second base on a wild pitch, setting up an RBI double from senior center fielder Chaz Boyer.
Attempting to stretch a double into a triple, Boyer was thrown out at third base on relays throws from Duplantis and Tiger junior second baseman Cole Freeman. Norman then wiggled out of two-on, two-out jam with a ground out.
Warzek and the next three LSU relievers kept both offenses in the check through the next 2 ½ innings, but the Tigers opened the floodgates with a three-run fifth inning.
Duplantis picked up his second of three hits on the night with one out in the bottom of the second. Bryce later joined Duplantis in scoring position after reaching on an error and advancing on a fielder’s choice, bringing up Romero with two outs.
In a full count, Romero drove a single up the middle to plate both runners and later scored on freshman third baseman Chris Reid’s RBI single. Hitting in critical scoring opportunities is something Romero embraces, he said.
“It’s just a mentality that I have, and I love that situation,” Romero said. “Any time there’s a runner in scoring position, especially if I don’t get the job done, I’m frustrated with myself.”
LSU wasn’t done there, picking up three more in the sixth on a RBI triple from Duplantis and a solo bomb from Bryce.
“I’ve been struggling the past two games,” Bryce said. “I just needed something that would get me up, and I just got the fastball I wanted. I just did what I could with it.”
The Tiger capped their scoring output on junior pinch hitter Bryce Adams’ RBI double, giving the relievers all they would need to seal the victory against the in-state rival.