GAME BLOG: LSU vs. SLU

1st inning: LSU 0, SLU 0 - PLAY SUSPENDED (Will resume at 1 p.m. Sunday)

By RICHARD FISCHER
Tiger Rag Associate Editor

Good evening and welcome to Alex Box Stadium for tonight’s contest between LSU and Southeastern Louisiana.

This will be LSU’s only regular season matchup versus the squad from down I-10, but the Lions are already 1-0 in Alex Box Stadium this season by way of a 4-1 victory over BYU earlier today.

That improved the Lions to 4-1 on the young season even though they’re saving their ace Jordan Hymel for the nightcap versus the Tigers.

The lefty posted a 6-3 record and a 2.65 ERA in 14 starts a season ago.  He struck out 55 and walked 33. He didn’t start 2013 so hot, however, giving up six hits and four runs (three earned) in five frames a week ago versus UT Martin.

His opponent on the hill will be junior Ryan Eades. The junior seems to have the same issues surrounding him every time he trots out there.  At times he can be dominant. At times he can struggle to get through an inning. It’s all about control and consistency for Eades, and chapter two of his 2013 campaign will be written in the next couple hours. His first was up and down in 6.1 frames versus Maryland last Saturday. He may not have given up any runs, but he was in fighting with fire by allowed six hits and a walk. Six K’s and clutch defense helped him out.

LSU has the same lineup as yesterday except right-handed hitting Alex Edward is in the DH spot in the place of left-handed hitting Tyler Moore.

The Lion to watch out for at the plate is RF Harry Slade. He’s hitting in the three-hole, and he’s 11-for-19 through Southeastern’s first five games.

Southeastern is donning their camo uniforms, while LSU is wearing purple. First pitch is set for a few minutes after 7 p.m., and tonight’s game can be seen on CST. Unlike last night, the wind is blowing straight in from centerfield - good news for pitchers tonight. The rain should stay away tonight enough to get a game in (EDIT: Obviously a bad forecast from a certain weather website that said no rain till midnight), but it’s gonna be in the 50s throughout the contest. Expect a low scoring one.

STARTING LINEUPS:

Southeastern Louisiana 4-1

1. Corey Bryan CF .263
2. Jessee Buratt 3B .278
3. Harry Slade RF .579
4. Aaron Haag 1B .222
5. Jameson Fisher DH .176
6. Gabe Woods 2B .200
7. Ben Hernandez .429
8. Sam Roberson C .294
9. Ladd Rhodes LF .200

SP- Jordan Hymel LHP

LSU 5-0

1. Chris Sciambra CF .500
2. Mark Laird RF .300
3. Alex Bregman SS .350
4. Raph Rhymes LF .333
5. Mason Katz 1B .211
6. JaCoby Jones 2B .417
7. Alex Edward DH .143
8. Ty Ross C .231
9. Christian Ibarra 3B .294

SP- Ryan Eades RHP

Top of the First:
Eades’ first pitch is a strike on the outer half at 7:07… Three pitches and back to the dugout for Bryan. Backwards K. Great start for Eades. One out… Buratt rolls out to Bregman. Two quickly gone… Slade smokes a single to center… Haag is jammed and flies out weakly to Rhymes. Nice start for Eades save for one pitch… No runs. One hit. No errors. One left on base (first)… LSU 0, SLU 0

Bottom of the First:
Sciambra fans for the first out… Laird golfs it between short and third, and they’ve got no chance to throw him out with his spectacular speed. Man, that’s useful… Bregman smacks it on a line the other way but right at the right fielder. Two away… Mainieri sends Laird, and Rhymes executes a hit and run perfectly. He singles to right, and Laird scampers to third… Rain begins to fall, and lighting is detected in the area with a 1-1 count to Katz so play is suspended at 7:20.

Play has been suspended tonight due to rain and lightning. The game will resume at 1 p.m. Sunday. Tomorrow’s schedule (SLU vs. BYU at 1 p.m. and LSU vs. BYU at 6 p.m.) is unaffected.