LSU baseball found itself back in the win column after a big inning saw it exorcise demons it had faced all year. LSU would take a 10-7 win over University of New Orleans.
LSU has struggled mightily at the plate with two outs. Jay Johnson cited it as an issue after Friday’s loss to Texas A&M and went on a talk about the way the roster is constructed when asked about it.
After a long hiatus, the Tigers brought back two-out hitting, going 5-11. All five two-out knocks came in the fifth inning, where LSU scored seven runs, the most in a single frame since it plated seven in an inning in the Ole Miss finale.
“I don’t remember getting four two-out hits in a row in a long time,” Johnson said. “I’m not talking about this year, I’m talking about any year. I’m sure we’ve done it at some point … but I thought it was awesome.”
A lot of replacements helped the cause.
With the loss of Jake Brown, it was a freshman showcase. William Patrick got his first career start in right field. Johnson has talked about him being the most athletic member of the team, and he’s been waiting to get his moment.
“[Brown] said, ‘You get a size shoe a little bit bigger than what you have,’” Patrick said. “‘What are you talking about, dude?’ He was like ‘you have big shoes to fill’.”
Brown’s words of encouragement about going out there and competing must have landed as Patrick ran like he was wearing a shoe he had just been fitted for.
Patrick’s first plate appearance of the game was full of other firsts; his first collegiate double was also his first RBI. And he hit it low and hard the other way, like Johnson has been pleading for his players to do.
Jack Ruckert got his third career start today and had a two-RBI single in the busy fifth inning. It happened after an odd play where he went too far on a checked swing on a ball that hit him, even though the ball hit the dirt before even reaching the batter’s box.
Omar Serna also had a two-RBI single in the fifth inning.
“Three of them got two out hits with runners in scoring position in that seven run inning, so you love to see that,” Johnson said.
Cade Arrambide added a solo shot in the fourth that tied the game until the lead was eventually taken back in the next frame.
Mason Braun got in the game despite not starting due to a slow streak, but he made up for it with a phenomenal diving catch in the outfield in the seventh. It helped continue the stronger pitching from LSU on Tuesday.
Danny Lachenmayer has been a matchup guy who pitches for one or two outs, but tonight he got five strikeouts in his 1.2 innings pitched in his longest outing of the season.
“It was good to extend a little bit,” Lachenmayer said. “I’m glad [Johnson’s] kind of giving me a little [bit of a] bigger leash. I’m just trying to get more and more improvement every day.”
Starter Grant Fontenot had a solid first three innings, where he only faced the minimum number of batters. Then Kruise Newman hit a two-run homer with two outs in the fourth, and it seemed like it would only get worse from there.
After Johnson got his final notes down on his clipboard once the inning ended, he slammed it down on the step in front of him.
Santiago Garcia replaced Fontenot in the fifth, and he let two runners on for free and then allowed them to advance to second and third with a wild pitch. The following single gave the Privateers the lead by two.
To follow how the season has been on the mound, LSU threw four wild pitches Tuesday, and now averages 1.54 per game.
Gavin Guidry also continued some of his struggles as he gave up a three-run home run in the ninth inning.
But LSU was saved by UNO’s lack of a strong pitching staff. The Privateers threw two wild pitches as well and allowed nine hits to the Tigers.
LSU’s pitchers finally got it together. Cooper Williams only faced three batters in the sixth with the assistance of Arrambide catching Newman trying to steal second.
“We just got to build confidence within each other and just pick up one another,” Lachenmayer said. “We got to stay positive the whole weekend.”
The game finished with LSU adding a run in the eighth that came from some well-placed bunts. Small ball at its finest and whatever it takes to get the team right.
“I want to win,” Johnson said. “I’m tired of losing. Like, four games in a row feels like an eternity to me.”
The Tigers hit the road tomorrow, bound for Starkville and a three-game date with No. 15 Mississippi State. The series begins Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
“I think they’re one of the five most talented teams in the country,” Johnson said. “It’ll be a good series.”
