LSU Wins Again By 10-Run Rule, Beating Nicholls State, 12-1, To Go To 5-0 On The Season

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

No. 1 LSU continued to basically scrimmage lighter competition on Wednesday afternoon by 10-run ruling Nicholls State, 12-1, on eight hits with two home runs in front of 11,164 at Alex Box Stadium.

It was LSU’s third 10-run rule win of the young season for the 5-0 Tigers – 15-5 over Milwaukee in the opener on Friday and 21-7 over Milwaukee on Sunday.

Tranfer Trent Caraway put LSU up 5-1 in the first inning with a grand slam. And John Pearson ended it with a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to put LSU over the 10-run maximum for a 12-1 lead. The Tigers collected eight hits in all.

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Jake Brown, who entered the game hitting .529 (9 of 17) with four home runs and 10 RBIs, went 2-for-5 with two RBIs on a single and a ground out. He is now hitting

“We got a bunch of guys in the game again,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “There are a lot of strengths to this team, and we want to keep getting better as we go.”

The competition should be better this weekend as the Tigers will play in the Jax College Baseball Classic in Jacksonville, Florida, against Indiana on Friday at 1 p.m., Notre Dame at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Central Florida at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

“This feels like an NCAA Tournament,” Johnson said. “It will be a good opportunity for our team to develop and grow.”

Starting pitcher Zac Cowan (1-0) picked up the win Wednesday, but with just an inning and a third of work, and he allowed three hits and the only run with two strikeouts and a walk. Four relief pitchers allowed no more hits or runs.

Highly recruited freshman Reagan Ricken picked up the save, throwing the last three innings and striking out two with no walks.

“I’m very excited about the pitching,” Johnson said. “It was a very good job by our staff.”

Senior transfer Dax Dathe of Angelo State struck out two in an inning and a third with no walks. Freshman Zion Theophilus walked three in an inning and a third with a strikeout. Junior left-handed transfer Santiago Garcia struck out two and walked two in an inning.