GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The eyes of Texas A&M just got poked out by LSU pitcher Anthony Eyanson.
And Eyanson not only won Saturday night’s game. He has the Tigers eyeing a series victory on Sunday because he expertly set up LSU’s pitching staff by delivering his first complete game of the season.
And Eyanson struck out his most in a Southeastern Conference game this year with 14 while holding Texas A&M to three hits and one run for a 2-1 victory at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas, in the second game of a doubleheader. The Aggies won the first game, 3-1.
The junior transfer from California-San Diego got stronger as the game went on as he struck out seven over the final four innings, including three in the ninth. Eyanson (7-2) struck out nine of A&M’s 10 hitters and walked only one after giving up nine free passes over his previous two starts. Eyanson’s season high for strikeouts was 15 against North Alabama on March 8.
“I mean, to me, he looked like Michael B. Jordan in the movie ‘Creed’ going into the ring to face Drago’s kid,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. Actually, that happened in the second installment of the “Creed” doubleheader, also known as “Creed II.” But who’s counting?
Johnson was counting strikeouts.
“That’s the performance of the year on the mound,” he said. “I’m just proud of him. One recruit can tip your team one way or the other in this league, you know that? And he was the guy we felt like we had to have. And everybody saw why. He’s one of the best pitchers in the country.”
The Tigers (33-10, 15-8 Southeastern Conference) will try to take the series over the Aggies (26-20, 9-14) at 1 p.m. Sunday on SEC Network+. And Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie will have a very well rested pitching staff to do so because of Eyanson, who threw 112 pitches with 80 for strikes. It was just the second complete game of his college career.
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And Johnson did not have to use ace reliever Casan Evans (3-0, 1.09 ERA, 6 saves) in the first two games of the series, so Evans is expected to start on Sunday for the second straight week. Evans allowed two runs on six hits to beat Tennessee – one of the nation’s best offenses in the nation – last Sunday with six strikeouts. He has fanned 47 in 33 innings this season with just nine walks, zero home runs and a .203 opponent batting average.
Texas A&M will start junior left-hander Myles Patton (3-3, 4.84 ERA, 64 strikeouts, 12 walks, 57 and two-thirds innings).
LSU will also have its other top reliever – junior right-hander Zac Cowan (2-1, 1.56 ERA, 6 saves)- available Sunday. Cowan threw just 16 pitches with 10 strikes in relief in the first game on Saturday. He took the 3-1 loss after allowing two runs on three hits in relief of starter Kade Anderson. Cowan has struck out 49 on the season in 40 and a third innings with seven walks.
Every LSU pitcher on staff other than Anderson and Eyanson should be able to pitch on Sunday, thanks to Eyanson.
The Tigers broke up a scoreless game in the top of the sixth to take a 2-0 lead. Jared Jones doubled and scored on Ethan Frey’s RBI double for a 1-0 lead off A&M starter Justin Lamkin. A bunt RBI single by Josh Pearson made it 2-0. Lamkin took the loss to fall to 3-6 after allowing the two runs on four hits.
Eyanson ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth when Ben Royo homered to lead off to cut LSU’s lead to 2-1. But no more trouble materialized as Eyanson struck out Jace LaViolette looking and Wyatt Henseler swinging before getting Caden Sorrell to ground out to second base. Eyanson struck out two more in the seventh and retired the side in order in the eighth.
After Eyanson struck out Henseler looking to open the ninth, Sorrell singled. But Eyanson struck out clean-up hitter Bear Harrison and Kaeden Kent for the third time to end the game.
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