LSU right-handed reliever Bryce Collins hadn’t had his moment yet.
But facing Kentucky’s Jase Felker in the ninth inning, Collins pitched to contact, letting the defense work behind him. As soon as second baseman Ben Nippolt corralled Felker’s groundball and threw to Jared Jones for the final out, Collins’ pivotal outing was complete as LSU won 7-6 at Alex Box Stadium to take the three-game series.
After two days of slugfests, the final game between LSU and Kentucky was a marathon of manufactured runs.
Collins, who struggled during his first four appearances of the season, had closed out a game that hung by a thread in just his second Southeastern Conference appearance. He pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings while allowing one hit and one walk and striking out four as the Tigers erased a 6-4 deficit after he entered the game in the top of the seventh.
LSU waited through a one-hour rain delay to play its final game against Kentucky (28-7, 10-5 SEC) on Saturday.
The Tigers (29-6, 9-5 SEC) started a new lineup for the second day in a row without starting second baseman Gavin Dugas, who was injured Thursday night. Instead of Nippolt, LSU started Jack Merrifield at second base for the first time in conference play this year. In addition, Jordan Thompson batted cleanup while Tre’ Morgan batted leadoff.
It also marked the fourth time this week Alex Milazzo started at catcher.
Christian Little made his first start for LSU in conference play, retiring the first nine batters he faced. He finished with 3⅓ innings while giving up one run on no hits. He did walk three while striking out one.
Neither team had a multi-run inning until the seventh as both were steadily manufacturing runs. Jones’ solo shot to left field put the Tigers ahead 1-0 in the second, then Morgan scored from third on a Kentucky throwing error for a 2-0 in the third.
The Wildcats plated their first run in the top of the fourth on a wild pitch by LSU reliever Gavin Guidry with the bases loaded, but LSU still held a 2-1 lead until the fifth, when Kentucky’s Jackson Gray drove in a run with a groundout to tie the game 2-2.
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