The top ranked LSU baseball team traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, for a Tuesday night matchup with unranked Tulane. There was a sea of purple throughout the stands at Greer Field as LSU fans arrived in droves to watch their beloved Tigers trump the Green Wave.
Although Tulane didn’t have the best record entering the contest, LSU’s head coach Jay Johnson warned his team and fans that this would be a competitive game. He was correct.
The Green Wave jumped on the score board early, taking the lead in the first inning. Third baseman Simon Baumgardt smacked an RBI single to left field which scored designated hitter Brady Hebert. Baumgardt carried Tulane at the plate. He accounted for nearly half of the team’s hits with two runs on four hits and four RBIs in his five at-bats. One of those hits was a two-run homerun.
It wasn’t until the third inning that LSU’s bats became hot. Third baseman Tommy White blasted a two-RBI double to center field. He gave the Tigers their first lead of the game.
Multiple Tigers had success at the plate, but White and right fielder Brayden Jobert led the team with three RBIs each. Left fielder and first baseman Tre’ Morgan had two hits with two runs scored. Center fielder Dylan Crews also had two hits and two runs on the game. Designated hitter Cade Beloso and freshman first baseman Jared Jones both noted three hits.
Towards the end of the game, freshman Paxton Kling hit the ground hard after his attempt on a play in right field. He was obviously in pain as he was helped off the field. Johnson has said that it’s a high hamstring issue. He then stressed Kling’s importance to their future success.
Tulane threw nine different arms on the mound but it was Jonah Wachter that was charged with the loss. His record for the season drops to 1-3. Wachter threw only 25 pitches, but allowed three runs on six hits and didn’t throw a single strikeout.
LSU threw six different pitchers, however, none of them went over 50 total pitches. Junior right-hander Bryce Collins was credited with the win, his first of the season. Collins fired 43 pitches with two strikeouts and two walks. He didn’t allow a single hit or run.
“Bryce had a tough start to this season, which was a real surprise,” Johnson said. “We’ve made some adjustments both in mindset and physically, and that’s four or five good outings in a row for him. We really need that, now more than ever. I have total faith in him.”
LSU plated five runs between the fifth and seventh innings which ultimately decided the winner. Morgan and Crews added three insurance runs, the most by both teams in a single inning, in the ninth inning with two singles.
The ball game was highly competitive throughout and fans weathered the cloudy environment for a chance to witness a spectacular division one baseball game. LSU improves to 27-5 on the season while Tulane falls to 9-24. LSU’s 19 hits in the game are the third most all season.
“We played well tonight, and we had to in order to win the game,” said Johnson. “We used pitchers that we rely on a lot, and it was a good win on the road. I think Tulane will finish the year better than they started it; they’re really well coached, and it was a tough game tonight. A good win for us.”
LSU baseball returns home to Alex Box Stadium this weekend for a three-game series against the No. 12 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky enters the series coming off two straight losses on the road to an unranked Georgia team. Game one is set to kick off at 6 p.m. on Thursday but potential bad weather may affect the series’ schedule.
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