Tigers slug by Tulane to win fifth straight

By Hunt Palmer

THE STORY

LSU accomplished the primary goal on Tuesday. The secondary mission gets a check mark, too.

The Tigers won the game, 13-6, and kept a streaking offense on the tracks with gaudy hit and run totals. That was part one. The second part of the equation was trying to avoid the top tier bullpen arms. That looked extremely doable when LSU jumped out to a 9-0 lead after two innings, and though a slight middle-inning scare arose, John Pearson’s massive home run in the seventh opened the Tiger lead to eight and gave Jay Johnson the flexibility he desired.

Deven Sheerin and Gavin Guidry did not appear. Grant Fontenot threw 40 pitches, so he might slot in Saturday in Athens instead of Friday, but the bullpen was not taxed.

It would have been difficult for Johnson to craft a better early script.

The Tiger offense plated six in the first on four hits, three of them went for extra bases. Cade Arrambide stayed hot with a line shot home that just cleared the wall in dead center. Steven Milam hooked an RBI double down the right field line, and Pearson followed with a gapper to right center to plate Milam. Seth Dardar’s opposite field liner scored another. As did William Patrick’s RBI groundout that was a missile of a one-hopper at the shortstop that left the bat over 100 mph.

It was an early laser show.

Arrambide drew a 10-pitch walk in the second, and Milam followed with an RBI double to right…again. Dardar singled him home…again. LSU had sent nine runs home on eight hits in two frames.

Danny Lachenmayer allowed Tulane to dent the scoreboard for a run in the third, but he finished three innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts and no walks. He’s done a very nice job lately.

The Wave collected back-to-back two-out, RBI hits off Cooper Williams in the fourth to make it 9-3. Jason Wachs took Fontenot deep for a two-run homer in the fifth. It was 9-5, and things got a little tense at The Box.

That tension was eased by single LSU runs in the fifth and sixth and then a titanic two-run shot by Pearson off the left field scoreboard to make it 13-5.

LSU’s offense is in rhythm even playing without freshman slugger Omar Serna on Tuesday. The Tigers bashed 16 hits, nine went for extra bases.

Arrambide also deserves a hat tip for a sensational defensive play on a foul pop up near the backstop that he caught on a slide. He also back picked a Green Wave runner at first on a dirt ball in the eighth.

The Tigers have six games remaining, and they’ll all be tough. They enter that stretch winners of five straight games for the first time since the first full week of the season.

THE SCORECARD

Cade Arrambide: 2-for-5, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R

Seth Dardar: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Steven Milam: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R

LSU Overall: 16-for-37 (.432), 7 2B, 2 HR

LSU with Runners On: 11-for-26 (.423)

LSU w RISP: 6-for-16 (.375)

The Tigers were not retired in order

Danny Lachenmayer: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 48 pitches, 28 strikes

Every Tiger starter reached base at least twice. Seven of the nine had multiple hits. Seven of the nine had an extra base hit.

WHAT’S NEXT

It’s on to Athens for Georgia to tangle with the SEC leaders. Georgia is 18-6 in league play, 2.5 games clear of second place. The Bulldogs boast a powerful lineup and a high-velocity pitching staff. The Tigers go in as the underdogs but appear to be playing better baseball.

First pitch Friday is set for 5:00 central time from Foley Field.