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BATON ROUGE – No. 7 LSU scored seven unearned runs off six Southeastern Louisiana errors to take a 7-3 win over the Lions in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium.
The loss snapped a five-game Southeastern winning streak and dropped the Lions to 6-2 overall. LSU remained undefeated with the win, improving to 8-0 overall.
The Lions' sloppy defensive play was too much to overcome, as LSU got a strong start from junior right hander Tyler Jones (2-2). The Naples, Fla. native held Southeastern to five hits and two runs in 6.2 innings of work, walking two and striking out four batters.
Southeastern wasted a prime scoring opportunity in the top of the first inning. Senior
Cass Hargis led off the game with a single and moved to third when Jones' pickoff throw sailed down the right field line. However, Jones recovered to retire junior
Jonathan Pace, junior
Justin Boudreaux and senior
Jeff Harkensee to keep the Lions off the board.
LSU jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the second inning. Mikie Mahtook and Austin Nola led off the inning with consecutive singles. Boudreaux then made a diving stop on a grounder by Mason Katz and had caught Mahtook making too big of a turn at third. However, his throw to third sailed past Pace allowing Mahtook to walk in with the game's first run.
A groundout by Alex Edward led to another run. Errors by senior first baseman
Trey Martin and Pace led to two more runs for the Tigers and chased Lion sophomore
Jordan Hymel (1-1) from the game. Senior
Jacob Ott got the final out, but LSU was out to a 4-0 lead with four unearned runs off the three Lion miscues in the frame.
Jones pitched out of another jam in the third inning, as he walked Martin and hit Pace to put a pair of runners on. However, he struck out Boudreaux to keep the Lions off the board.
Ott loaded the bases in the bottom of the third after getting the first two batters out. The Lion senior pitched out of the jam, forcing Jacoby Jones to fly out to end the inning.
Southeastern got on the board in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore
Brock Hebert drew a one-out walk and scored on a two-out single by Hargis. Pace followed with a single to put a pair of runners on. However, Boudreaux ripped a comebacker that bounced off Jones, who was able to throw it to first for the final out, keeping the LSU lead at 4-1.
LSU got the run back in the fifth without the benefit of a hit. Mahtook drew a leadoff walk and then advanced to second when Ott's pickoff throw got away from Martin. After stealing third, Mahtook came home on a Nola sacrifice fly to put the Tigers up, 5-1.
Southeastern got one back in the top of the seventh inning. Senior
Josh Cryer was hit and moved to second on an Hebert single. After Martin bunted the runners over, Cryer scored on a Hargis sacrifice fly to cut the LSU edge to 5-2.
Southeastern cut into the lead further in its half of the eighth. Harkensee lined his team-high fourth home run of the season over the right field fence to pull the Lions within two, 5-3.
In the bottom of the inning, Alex Edward reached on a Boudreaux error and then pinch runner Spencer Ware advanced to third on a failed pickoff throw by Lion freshman
Jason Greenleaf. Ware would eventually come home on a groundout by Jacoby Jones to give the Tigers another unearned run. A double by Trey Watkins, followed by a single by Rhymes ran the unearned run total to seven and put LSU up, 7-3.
The Lions return home on Friday to open a four-game series versus Sacred Heart. First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 1 p.m. and the action can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net, where live stats will also be available.
