Whatever LSU baseball head coach Jay Johnson said following the loss to Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday night worked in the Tigers’ favor big time on Friday night versus Sacramento State.
Game 1 versus the Hornets was a factory reset, and it was everything this team needed after a rough stint of baseball.
“They probably stayed down a little longer than they should, frankly, but that’s why we’re here to help them out,” Johnson said postgame. “I’m glad it’s a good collective effort by the coaches and the players to get on track.”
The offense immediately gave CPR to its bats when it got to Alex Box Stadium on Friday. The stunned bats were woken back up quickly with the Tigers’ 1-2 punch putting the first numbers up on the scoreboard in the 15-4, seven-inning contest.
Junior right fielder Jake Brown hit his sixth, seventh and eighth home runs of the season, and the first one of the night ignited the offense like a wildfire. The Tiger fans went wild, and that was all-she-wrote.
LSU was determined to win the game after that swing, and the lopsided score showcased that effort. Almost every Tiger from the starting lineup got in on the action.
Sophomore center fielder Derek Curiel hit his first home run of the season in the second inning, and junior shortstop Steven Milam followed with his first in the fourth. Arrambide also got in on the longball action with his own solo shot in the fourth inning.
Freshman utility player Mason Braun even got in on the RBI contest with one of his own in the third inning, and so did fifth-year senior Seth Dardar.
All 15 runs were scored in four total innings.
But it wasn’t just the offense that made a comeback performance on Friday. The LSU pitching stepped up after the rough midweek game on Wednesday night. The bullpen struggled earlier in the week, so the Tigers’ starter did as much as he could to keep the bullpen under the right field bleachers.
Casan Evans tossed 5.2 innings of the seven-inning contest. He carried a perfect game into the sixth inning before the Hornets scratched a hit into the scorebook. He was pulled after he allowed the first run to score tonight.
Evans retired nine batters before they ever left the box. His command was solid, not allowing a single free pass during the outing.
“He did a great job and really executed,” Johnson said postgame. “I thought the stuff was electric. That’s what it looks like. I’ve always thought that and believed that, and we saw a whole season of it last year. Fun to see it continue.”
If his longevity can carry into SEC play, the Tigers’ pitching might stay as solid as it’s started across the weekend games.
Freshman Zion Theophilus came in to relieve Evans. He commanded the strike zone as well, striking out the only batter he faced. Marcos Paz came in to finish the game in the seventh.
The biggest issue throughout the rough patch has been inconsistencies with the relief pitching and the midweek staff, so Johnson continues to utilize the bullpen when the score gets lopsided.
The padding creates an easier environment for the pitchers who have few innings pitched, and as the stakes get increasingly higher, the nerves calm as well.
The Tigers take on Sac State for the second game of the three-game series on Saturday. The first pitch will be at 2 p.m. CT in Alex Box Stadium.