Tigers Cruise By Cajuns, 11-2

LSU picked up their first midweek win of the season Wednesday night when they stormed into Lafayette and took the fight to ULL early on.

The Tigers picked up a lead with a three-run second inning and never looked back, tacking on additional runs as the game went on to cruise to a 11-2 victory.

LSU (3-1) received some great pitching to open the game, with the trio of Garrett Edwards, Will Hellmers, and Matthew Beck pitching a combined 5.2 innings where they allowed one run (earned) off three hits and three walks while striking out six. Hellmers and Beck both did not allow a hit in their appearance.

“Garrett Edwards got us off to a great start and then Will Hellmers looked fantastic,” LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said. “Giving both of those guys that early lead was a wonderful thing and it allowed them to go out there and challenge the hitters.”

The Tigers ran into a spot of bother in the bottom of the eighth inning when the Ragin Cajuns (3-2) were able to load the bases with no outs and pick up an RBI single to bring LSU’s lead down to 4-2.

Called in to put out the fire, Devin Fontenot came in and was able to turn a double play off a line drive hit squarely at him before striking out the tying run at the plate to escape the danger.

“That ball was scorched at me,” Fontenot said. “It was a good catch and I just had the instinct to turn the double play. It was a big situation but I didn’t let the pressure get to me. I turned the double play and it was much easier for me to get that last out once I got those first two.”

“It definitely got the momentum back on our side. For a second they thought they had a chance on us so I had to come in and pick up my teammates.”

After a walk, a single, and an error loaded the bases for LSU with no outs in the third, Alex Milazzo scored the game’s first run with a groundout to shortstop. Cade Dougty then came through with a two-out single to score a second run, with a throwing error allowing the third to score. LSU added a run an inning later on a Jordan Thompson single to right to make it 4-0.

ULL got a run back in the bottom half of the fourth when former tiger Brennan Breaux hit a solo home run to left center field.

The Tigers added some insurance runs in sixth inning by virtue of a bases loaded walk and again in the seventh with an error following an error on what would have been an inning-ending double play.

After escaping the eighth inning jam, the Tigers blew the game open in the ninth inning, scoring five runs on six hits, including a two-run home run from freshman third baseman Brody Drost.

“Just a total team effort by everybody,” Mainieri said. “It was fun to win a game on the road against a really good team.”

“I’m starting to feel better and better about our team every day.”

LSU returns home Friday for a two game set against Youngstown State on Friday and Saturday with a game against Nicholls following at 6:30. The first game of the weekend will be at 2:00 and broadcast online on SECN+ and over the radio on 100.7 due to the basketball game.