Derek Curiel didn’t let the freshmen have all of the fun. Though they have taken the spotlight recently, the sophomore made sure he wouldn’t be forgotten.
He batted in two of LSU baseball’s runs in the 12-4 victory over Southeastern on Tuesday.
Extra-base hits were his speciality, knocking two doubles and a no-doubter home run. He added a walk and a stolen base in the seventh as well. He scored three runs on the day.
“I was happy to see him have a good game tonight,” head coach Jay Johnson said. “He’s just a really good baseball player. I mean, it’s my favorite quality of him. He always finds a way to be the best guy on the field.”
Curiel’s strong offensive game helped give the Tigers a lead that was cushioned by a five-run seventh inning, where the freshmen started to look like they did against Mississippi State.
Jack Ruckert had two doubles on the day, with the second coming with bases loaded in the seventh inning. His day was nearly as strong as Curiel’s, as he also scored three runs and batted in two.
“I think confidence is a choice, so it’s just stacking that, and the two doubles are great,” Ruckert said. “It was awesome to come through for the team [with the bases loaded].”
Ruckert said that getting starts against Mississippi State on the road, which he said is the biggest environment he’s ever played in, helped him get lost in the moment and just focus on competing.
In the at-bat following Ruckert’s two-RBI double, William Patrick laid down a bunt that scored two runs off an errant throw home.
“The combination of the last five games offensively is the best that we’ve played in a long, long time,” Johnson said.
Those plays, along with a Steven Milam RBI single, essentially iced the game, which was close after a busy first two innings. Neither team had too many positives to report on their pitching in those innings.
LSU plated two runs in the first inning off three hits, with Curiel’s two doubles coming in each of those two innings. His second capped off the three-run second frame to take the lead, which it wouldn’t give up.
It was the top of the order finishing off the job in those first frames, as the four RBIs in those two innings were split between the top four of the lineup. Much of that was made possible by the free bases offered to the bottom of the order.
It benefited both teams. Over the course of the game, LSU pitchers combined to allow six walks and hit four batters, while continuing to move runners over with wild pitches, throwing two on Tuesday. It wasn’t much better for the Lions, who walked five.
The Lions were seeing LSU’s pitchers just as well to begin, though.
LSU starter Reagan Ricken loaded the bases without recording an out and only threw four strikes out of his 13 pitches. Danny Lachenmayer limited the damage to one, but then let up a three-run home run to Alex Perry in the second.
It took Zac Cowan entering the game to find steady waters, and he drowned the Southeastern bats. Over his four innings of work, he struck out seven and allowed only two hits, which were both singles.
“The guy’s the ultimate competitor,” Johnson said. “I never want to lose, but I’m at peace when we lose with Zac Cowan.”
He didn’t allow more than a single base runner in any of his four innings. It was a refreshing sight for Cowan to have his longest outing since April 5 against Tennessee, which also makes this his longest outing of the year without allowing a run.
“Not a whole lot changed for me,” Cowan said. “I feel like I’ve known what’s made me good this year, and just pitching to my strengths.”
Ethan Plog recorded two outs before Gavin Guidry came in to go hitless for 1.1 innings. Zion Theophilus cleaned up the ninth to finish the game. Those shutdown arms allowed LSU’s offense to play freely.
LSU’s aggression on the basepaths came against former LSU catcher Blaise Priester, who was a part of the 2022 and 2025 teams with a stint at Meridian Community College in between. Though he allowed Curiel to steal in the seventh, he gunned down Tanner Reaves with a perfect throw in the sixth.
On the offensive end, Priester struck out three times and was replaced in the eighth inning in his return to the Box.
The Tigers improve to 25-21 on the year and have an upcoming home series against South Carolina, which was just shutout by The Citadel in its midweek matchup. First pitch comes Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
