OXFORD, Miss. — Redshirt freshman Bo Pettit allowed only one run on five hits while striking out 12 in seven innings to pace the LSU baseball team past Ole Miss, 9-2, and win the three-game series Sunday in Oxford, Miss.
Pettit improved to 4-3 on the season after starting the first Southeastern Conference game of his career. Pettit was part of the starting rotation to begin the season but lost his position before SEC play began.
With the win, LSU improved to 35-14 overall and 15-8 (.652) in the SEC, just .015 percentage points behind Mississippi State (14-7, .667) for the Western Division lead. SEC leader South Carolina won it’s 20th straight game and improved to 21-3 in SEC play and 45-4 overall. LSU took two of three from the Gamecocks earlier this season in Baton Rouge.
Ole Miss fell to 28-20 overall and 10-13 in the SEC.
After Pettit worked his was out of a bases-loaded jam in the first by striking out the side, LSU got on the board in the top of the second with an RBI single by Ray Wright to score Blair Barbier and lead 1-0
The Tigers upped the lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth Cedrick Harris walked and advanced to third on a throwing error by Ole Miss starter Matthew Miller. Jeremy Witten then hit a two-RBI single to increase the lead.
Pettit allowed his only run on a solo home run in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1.
However, LSU continued to produce at the plate in the fifth, scoring two more runs on a two-RBI single by Brad Hawpe scoring Theriot and Cresse. Before scoring, Cresse earned his first stolen base of the season on a double steal.
In the top of the sixth, Witten opened the inning with a double and scored on a Mike Fontenot single with two outs. Fontenot then scored on a single by Blair Barbier to give LSU an 8-1 lead.
The Tigers added one more run in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice bunt by Witten, scoring Barbier from third.
Tiger reliever Trey Hodges gave up Ole Miss’ second run in the ninth before closing out the game. Shane Youman pitched a scoreless eighth for the Tigers.
LSU returns to action Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against McNesse State in Lake Charles, La., before making its final SEC road trip of the season next weekend against Kentucky.