E-Mail
Print
How it happened: Sunday’s game picked up where Friday night’s rain-suspended contest left off, with the Tigers having runners on the corners and two outs for Mason Katz. The former Jesuit standout would deliver a three-run homer on the second pitch of the day. LSU scored four runs in the 1st inning and went on to win 13-1 over Southestern Louisiana.
At the plate: Before the game, Coach Paul Mainieri talked about how he needed more production from Katz. Going into Sunday’s contest, Katz was hitting .217 with one home run and 5 RBI. Katz followed through with Mainieri’s request and went 3-for-4 with a career-high 6 RBI.
Fellow senior, Raph Rhymes, drove in just one run going into Sunday’s game, but had 5 RBI against the Lions to go along with two doubles.
The Tigers had 19 hits. Freshman right fielder Mark Laird had three of them and scored four times. Laird is hitting .379 on the season.
On the mound: Ryan Eades handled the unusual circumstances well. He pitched one inning on Friday before the rains came and returned on Sunday to resume his start. For the game, Eades threw six innings, scattered seven hits, allowed one run and struck out five.
What it means: The victory improves LSU’s record to 6-and-1. It was a nice bounce back performance for the Tigers, who allowed the game to slip away on Saturday night, which resulted in LSU’s first loss of the season. Mainieri has to be pleased to see back-to-back strong starts from Eades and it’s good to see Katz and Rhymes producing.
Up next: LSU will be on the road Tuesday where they’ll visit rival UL Lafayette. The Cajuns were not expected to do much in the Sun Belt Conference, but they are 7-and-1 on the season after sweeping Texas San Antonio. It should be a raucous crowd, as the game is a sell-out.
Photo: LSUSports.net / LSU Athletics
