LSU breaks out in win over Sacramento State

By Hunt Palmer

THE STORY

LSU needed a palate cleanser.

Twenty-one pitches into Friday’s rout, the Tigers got it. Casan Evans retired Sacramento State in order in the first. Derek Curiel doubled to right, and Jake Bown launched a titanic blast to make it 2-0 Tigers. LSU was off and running.

The Tigers (12-3) hammered the Hornets 15-4 in seven innings to snap a two-game skid and inject some life into a team looking for it.

Wednesday night, Curiel, Brown and Milam hit the ball hard in a loss to ULL. They did it again on Friday, and Alex Box Stadium struggled to contain them.

The veteran trio hit five homers, three by Brown who now has eight on the season to match last season’s total. His came in the first three innings. Jared Jones was the last Tiger to hit three homers. He did it against McNeese on April 9, 2024.

Curiel’s traveled 421 feet in the second, only to be bettered by Brown’s 425-foot blast three pitches later. In the third, Curiel doubled home a run in front of Brown’s three run blast. Brown drove in six.

While the Tiger offense unleashed a flurry of frustration, Casan Evans produced his best effort of the year. He was perfect through five with nine strikeouts. His fastball hit 99 mph in the first, and his changeup was spectacular against a Hornet offense that has been very poor through three weeks.

Evans allowed a pair of singles and an RBI triple in the sixth, but that doesn’t mar a stellar showing from the sophomore entering league play. Candidly, he’d lagged behind the other two rotation pieces. Friday’s outing was excellent in terms of stuff and command. He didn’t walk anyone and only pitched to two three-ball counts.

LSU has dominated on the weekends, now an unbeaten 10-0. Friday further illustrated that. At the same time, it shook the Tigers free of a frustrating slump and produced a sparkling outing from the ace of the staff.

Back to work on Saturday.

THE SCORECARD

Jake Brown: 4-for-5, 3 HR, 3 RBI

Derek Curiel: 3-for-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI

Steven Milam: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI. 2 R

Casan Evans: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

LSU hit 6 HR and 2 2B in 6 innings.

LSU was 8-for-17 (.471) with runners on.

LSU pitching issued two walks and struck out 12.

LSU did not make an error.

WHAT’S NEXT

LSU and Sacramento State play game two at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The game was moved up from its original start time of 6 p.m. due to the threat of inclement weather. All indications are that Cooper Moore will toe the rubber for the Tigers.