LSU Beats Grambling State, 7-1, With Some Small Ball

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU worked on its short game before eventually pulling away from Grambling State for a 7-1 win on Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers (15-7, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) found themselves having to manufacture runs against a team ranked No. 267 in the Ratings Percentage Index. LSU, which is No. 111 in RPI, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Omar Serna Jr. doubled, reached third on a Zach Yorke single and scored on John Pearson’s RBI groundout.

LSU went up 2-1 in the fourth without a hit. Omar Serna Jr. reached on a fielder’s choice, Yorke walked, John Pearson reached on catcher’s interference, and pinch-hitter Edward Yamin IV delivered a sacrifice fly to left field.

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The Tigers made it 3-1 in the fifth without a hit again as Jake Brown walked, stole second, reached third on Steven Milam’s ground out and scored on a wild pitch.

Serna extended LSU’s lead to 4-1 in the eighth with a solo home run to left field. Then Chris Stanfield hit a two-run single to left for a 6-1 advantage. The Tigers made it 7-1 when Cade Arrambide was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

LSU got seven hits in all.

Grambling (5-13) scored its only run in the fourth on an RBI single by Hasani Johnson off LSU reliever Dax Dathe to tie it 1-1.

LSU coach Jay Johnson used some of his best relievers to close out the game, even though the Tigers next play on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPNU) at home against No. 8 Oklahoma (17-4, 2-1 SEC, 15 RPI). Mavrick Rizy allowed one hit over two innings with three strikeouts, and Gavin Guidry allowed no hits, runs or walks in two thirds of an inning with a strikeout.

“Those are some talented guys that we need this weekend,” Johnson said. “We didn’t pitch as good as we wanted to last weekend, so felt like it was important to get some of those guys back out there.”

Reliever Cooper Williams (1-1) picked up the win, going one and a third innings in the fourth and fifth. He struck out three with zero runs, hits or walks allowed. LSU used eight pitchers in all and walked only three with 15 strikeouts.

The Sooners got to Louisiana early, but lost 3-0 to No. 98 RPI Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday night in Hammond.