By Matt Moscona
BATON ROUGE, La. — An hour and 33 minute lightning delay wasn’t the only storm LSU had to weather Tuesday night. Northwestern State erupted for six runs in the top of the third once play resumed. The Demons would pour it on, run-ruling LSU, 13-3.
It was the first time LSU has been run-ruled at home in a midweek game.
The Demons notched nine hits but LSU pitching allowed four walks, hit four batters and threw two wild pitches.
Lightning struck for the LSU offense early when Derek Curiel mashed a 416-foot homerun on the first pitch he saw to put the Tigers up 1-0. Josh Pearson led off the second with an opposite field shot to extend the lead to 2-0.
Jaden Noot started off strong, retiring seven of the first eight hitters he faced, striking out three and yielding only a walk. The trouble started in the third when Hudson Brignac singled sharply up the middle and Reese Lipoma hit a tapper that Jared Jones couldn’t handle at third base.
That’s why the lightning delay began.
When play resumed, Cooper Williams had replaced Noot. He would last only two hitters after he hit a batter and allowed a two-RBI single which tied the game.
Connor Benge didn’t fare much better.
Braden Benton hit a three-run homerun to put the Demons ahead 5-2. Benge would hit a batter, Cade Arrambide committed a throwing error and an error on Jones allowed another run to come across, putting NSU ahead 6-2.
Maverick Rizy had a Jekyll and Hyde fourth inning, striking out the first two hitters he faced before walking two, hitting a batter and unleashing a wild pitch. A second error on Jones put the Demons up 7-2.
Jake Brown hit a solo shot in the fifth to pull LSU within 7-3. That would hardly be enough.
The Demons responded with three more in the sixth. After Rizy allowed a single and a walk, he was replaced by DJ Primeaux who hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. After a wild pitch, and RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly, LSU was down 10-3.
Chandler Dorsey allowed a two-out, two-run double in the seventh, pushing the lead to 12-3. Dylan Thompson made his LSU debut, surrendering an RBI single to provide the final margin.
LSU returns to action Friday night at home against No. 6 Tennessee.
