Tigers Hold Off Demons For 9-5 Win

The Tigers scrapped the bottom of the bullpen barrel to get through their last midweek game of the regular season, but another great performance from LSU’s Senior Utility MVP helped seal a 9-5 win and start the final week off on the right foot.

LSU started the scoring in the 1st with RBI singles from Zach Watson and Nick Coomes. The Tigers kept pounding early, adding an RBI single from Austin Bain and a 2 run homer from the hot-hitting Daniel Cabrera in the 2nd and 3 more in the 3rd with another Austin Bain RBI single and 2 runs on an Antoine Duplantis RBI single that the Demons threw away for another run. LSU entered the 4th up 8-0 and crusied on offense until Northwestern St made an unexpected comeback.

With the important weekend series just 2 days away, it was a Johnny Wholestaff night, with Beck, Gilbert, Nowak, Reese, Kodros, Petersen, Moffitt, and Bain all getting a little action with Matt Beck having the longest outing at 3 innings. Northwestern had 12 hits, and pulled off most of an impressive late inning rally. One run came on a misplayed ball at 3rd base in the 7th and another 2 on RBI doubles and singles off of Taylor Petersen in the 8th. Clay Moffitt came in and got the 2nd out of the 8th inning but then loaded the bases and gave up a 2 run single to J.P. Lagreco. Bain came in from 1B to strikeout the final batter of the inning and end the threat.

LSU would pick up an insurance run in the 8th. Back to back hits by Bain and Cabrerra put two men on and a pair of wild pitches moved them over and scored Bain. The Senior Utility All-Star went right back out to pitch the 9th, striking out 2 and earning his 4th save in almost certianly his last appearance in Alex Box Stadium. It being a sort of Senior Night Pt. 2, Beau Jordan and Nick Coomes also got their own curtain call substituions in front of the sparse diehard crowd that turned out for the final home game of the year.

The Tigers pack it up and head for a long road trip. An Auburn Thursday weekend series, then a short bus trip directly to Hoover next week for the SEC Tournament.