LSU baseball holds onto its lead after a lightning delay to take game one over Ole Miss

LSU baseball is determined to claim every win it can get and it won’t even let Mother Nature get in its way.

LSU and Ole Miss moved up the start time of game one by two hours to try and avoid issues with the weather, but lightning forced the game into a delay with the Tigers up 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

After a waiting for over an hour, the two teams reemerged, and LSU claimed game one with a 5-1 win. The delay didn’t seem to impact LSU’s defensive play at all. LSU allowed just one hit after the restart and ended the game allowing six total and recording 13 strikeouts.

LSU’s record moves to 34-20 overall and 11-17 in conference play while Ole Miss falls to 27-26 overall and 11-17 in SEC play. The win means LSU is now guaranteed a spot in the SEC Tournament next week.

“That was a good win,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “Proud of them for staying with it.”

LSU’s starter Gage Jump found himself in a bit of trouble in the top of the second when he allowed the first two batters to reach base with singles. But he got the next three outs without allowing anything else to keep the game scoreless.

Hayden Travinski started the second inning for LSU by getting hit by a pitch. He was brought to second on a groundout before Steven Milam delivered an RBI single with two outs gone to give LSU the lead.

On The Board@Monster_Milam99 | SECN pic.twitter.com/qsgTsOhShm

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) May 16, 2024

The Tigers would double their lead in the next inning thanks to the always reliable duo of Tommy White and Jared Jones. White recorded his second hit of the game and his first triple of the season with a hit that bounced off the outfield wall. Jones hit an RBI single to bring him home.

LSU did most of its damage in the fourth inning though. Josh Pearson started the inning with a single and Milam recorded his second hit of the game after a Mac Bingham strikeout to out two runners on base. An Alex Milazzo walk loaded the bases.

“I thought our two-out hitting was great today,” Johnson said. “There was really good functional hitting by our team.”

Michael Braswell III knocked a two-RBI single to double the LSU lead. White recorded his third hit of the game to add another to the board and bring the score to 5-0. It was the final hit of the game for LSU. After recording eight hits in the first four innings, the Tigers struck out five times and only reach base thanks to walks over the next four.

Tommy takes us to 5️⃣@tommywhite44 | SECN pic.twitter.com/ejQyZ4KmDy

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) May 16, 2024

Jump gave up the first run of the game in the fifth inning. Judd Utermark hit his fifth homer of the season to bring the score to 5-1. He allowed a single to Treyson Hughes afterwards but was able to get the last couple outs needed to limit the damage.

He recorded the first two outs of the sixth inning before allowing a double and a walk to put two runners on. He locked in to strikeout the last batter and get out of the inning.

“I would take Gage as much as I would take any pitcher in our league,” Johnson said. “I really believed he would get to this point, and he’s been outstanding now for six straight weeks. We’ve needed Gage to pitch this way in order to have a chance to get where we want to go.”

Jump’s day ended earlier than it looked like it would thanks to the weather delay. He made it through the first six innings with 83 pitches. He allowed five hits, two walks and one run while recording eight strikeouts.

“I was pretty upset when there was lightning,” Jump said. “I tried to keep myself going and then they told me to stop.”

The game came back from the and Braswell flied out to end the sixth inning over an hour and a half after it first started. Christian Little came in for Jump in the top of the seventh inning and struck out three batters to head to the bottom of the inning.

Nate Ackenhausen came in for Little to start the eighth inning. He used six pitches to strikeout the leadoff batter and walked the second batter faced in a 10-pitch at-bat. A double play sent the Rebels down to their final three outs.

Gavin Guidry came into the game in the ninth inning. He struck out the leadoff batter before walking the next two. Griffin Herring came in to close out the game. He got the next two outs to end the game.

LSU and Ole Miss are scheduled to meet again tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., but weather could impact that game as well.