No. 5 LSU baseball looked like a completely different team from last weekend in a 6-1 win over No. 8 Florida.
Luke Holman got the start for LSU (19-4, 2-2 SEC) and the Gators struggled to hit anything he threw. He threw 104 pitches and made it through 6.0 innings with almost no problems.
He gave up just one hit, a solo homer, and walked three batters while recording a career-high 13 strikeouts. Holman had nine strikeouts through the first three innings.
Florida (12-9, 2-2 SEC) struggled with hitting even after Holman was pulled and the Gators finished with a season-low four hits and struck out 17 times. Ty Evans was the only Florida player with more than one hit. He ended the night with two hits and an RBI.
“It was a good game,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “Pitchers really attacked, really good conviction. Really great performance by Luke. Great performance by Griffin. I thought the concentration level on defense was high.”
LSU managed eight hits on the night and was led by Mac Bingham and Ethan Frey. Frey finished the night 2-for-4 with an RBI single. Bingham had two hits and two RBI.
LSU’s offense got started early on the night and scored the first runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Josh Pearson hit an RBI single to score Tommy White. Frey followed up with an RBI single of his own to score Jared Jones and bring the score to 2-0.
“Offensively, I like those games where we score some runs against good pitching where it’s not just a home run,” Johnson said. “You got free bases mixed in there. You got really good two-out hitting. Pearson, Frey, Bingham.”
LUKKKKKKKKKE@Lukeholman38 | SECN pic.twitter.com/hbunp8Vp8w
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 23, 2024
Florida wouldn’t hit back until the top of the fourth when Evans recorded the first hit of the day for the Gators with his homer. They wouldn’t register another hit until Holman left the game in the seventh inning.
Florida starter Cade Fisher managed to keep the Tigers quiet outside of the rough first inning until the bottom of the sixth. Hayden Travinski doubled to start the inning before Pearson was hit by a pitch. A single from Frey loaded the bases before Fisher was pulled for Ryan Slater.
Fisher ended the night with five strikeouts, five hits, five runs and two walks in 5.0 innings pitched.
Slater walked Michael Braswell III to score one before a Paxton Kling fly ball almost left the yard and let Pearson tag up to score another. An RBI single from Bingham brought the score to 5-1. White grounded out to end the inning.
Griffin Herring came in for LSU to start the top of the seventh and gave up a single but nothing else. Herring picked up where Holman left off and struck out the side in the top of the eighth.
“I just knew [Herring] would be able to handle himself in that environment,” Johnson said. “He’s just improving. There was a couple where maybe the count was about to get away from him or it got to 3-2 and he made the pitch. That type of composure is what I was counting on tonight.”
Braswell reached base on an error in the bottom of the eighth before Bingham recorded his second RBI of the night with a double to right field. LSU headed to the ninth inning with a 6-1 lead needing just three outs to end the game.
Mac brings home Brazz
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 23, 2024
UF – 1
LSU – 6
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After Florida had just two hits all game, Herring gave up a single and a double to put runners on second and third with two outs to go. A double play ended the game and LSU came away with a 6-1 win.
LSU and Florida play again tomorrow at 6 p.m. That game will be streamed on SEC Network+. A win would give LSU its first SEC series of the year.
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