LSU’s offense continued to shine with 14 hits in a 10-5 victory over Missouri, completing a series sweep.
The LSU bats were undying, scoring in five of their eight innings. Eight batters got at least one hit, four had multiple and both Ethan Frey and Derek Curiel had three each.
“It’s probably the most important thing in an offense in college baseball, especially in the Southeastern Conference,” Frey said. “You can win a lot of different games in a lot of different ways.”
As a team, the Tigers reached base 23 times. Reliever Zac Cowan was instrumental on the other side of the ball in securing the victory.
Offense delivered immediately in the first, headlined by a two-run home run by Jake Brown.
Missouri earned their run in the second inning but had it handed to them in the third. Already at a high pitch count, Chase Shores hit a batter and walked two, this amounted to just one run that inning. They added a third run in the fourth before Shores was pulled for Connor Ware.
After just one run in the third, LSU tallied three more in the fourth to push the lead to 8-3. Four hits, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base at the turn of the order eased the pressure on the bullpen. That would prove important.
Missouri gave LSU a run in the fifth when one hit, a walk and a hit batter set Michael Braswell III up to score on a wild pitch.
Ware and Mavrick Rizy combined for two hitless innings up to the seventh.
“With a defense like that behind you, you just got to fill it up and let them do their thing,” Rizy said.
Rizy was pulled after a walk in the seventh inning. DJ Primeaux came in, walked a batter and then allowed a two-run single. He was pulled for Cowan who came in with runners on second and third and the game in limbo. Cowan not only got out of the inning without allowing a run, he closed the last 2.1 innings.
LSU’s last run of the game came in the seventh when Chris Stanfield scored while Missouri caught Curiel in a pickle.
Missouri scored its last run in the ninth, but well-executed defense from Milam and Jones secured the win. LSU won 10-5.
Cowan was the saving grace when the lead became insecure. He finished the game with five strikeouts, allowing two hits, a walk and a run.
LSU hit .500 with 2 outs and was 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Curiel delivered every single time he came up the plate, 3-for-3 with a walk, also helping to drive in Stanfield between the basepaths.
Frey was nearly perfect, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
“It was a good weekend. [I’m] proud of our team,” Johnson said. “[I] thought we executed really well, all phases.”
LSU will play New Orleans on Tuesday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. They continue SEC play against Texas in Austin next weekend.