LSU Opens Kentucky Series With Win

Step back from the ledge Tiger fans, LSU did the improbable and won an SEC game.

The Tigers picked up their second conference game of the season with Friday evening’s 15-2 victory over Kentucky.

“It’s great to taste victory,” LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said.

“Tonight was a great all-around team win for us,” designated hitter Cade Beloso said. “It feels good to have a smile on my face.”

“It’s almost like a weight’s been lifted off our shoulder,” starting pitcher Landon Marceaux said.

Marceaux led the charge with another quality start, allowing two runs (one earned) in 7.1 innings of work where he allowed seven hits and struck out eight. He did not issue any walks.

“He’s pitched like this all year,” Mainieri said. “He’s been an ace in every sense of the word. When you give him a lead he just keeps pounding the zone and throwing strikes, throwing pitches the way he knows how. He mixes his three pitches tremendously...he was in complete control and did a great job for us tonight.”

“I wasn’t just throwing the ball in the zone and throwing strikes, I was throwing well-commanded strikes,” Marceaux said. “I was getting my off-speed over for strikes as well as making my slider a put-away pitch. All around, it was pretty great night. And then, our hitting, golly we came out swinging tonight.”

Four Tigers had multi-hit nights in Lexington and the top three batters in the lineup (Tre’ Morgan, Dylan Crews, Gavin Dugas) all hit home runs. Giovanni DiGiacomo led LSU in hitting with a 3-for-4 night.

LSU (19-11, 2-8) opened the scoring from the jump with a solo home run from Dylan Crews in the top of the first. The Tigers added two more runs in the fourth inning when leadoff singles from Cade Doughty and DiGiacomo came around to score on a single from Hayden Travinski.

Then LSU bust the game wide open in the sixth inning, batting around and scoring five runs off five hits, including a two-run home run from Gavin Dugas. Tre Morgan led off the next inning with a home run for good measure to make it 9-1.

Kentucky (19-8, 5-5) scratched across a single run in the sixth and seventh innings, but at that point the damage was done and the game was well in hand for the Tigers.

But the Tigers kept their foot on the gas until the end, tacking on six more runs on four hits in the top of the ninth to stretch their lead to 15-2.

“I’m proud of our guys, I’m proud of our performance,” Marceaux said.

LSU will go for the elusive series victory tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. The game will be televised on SEC Network.