BATON ROUGE — LSU built a 9-1 lead through six innings, then overcame a five-error seventh inning to hold on a for a 9-7 vicotry over Northwestern State in a non-conference game played Tuesday night at windswept Alex Box Stadium.
After having temperatures hover in the upper 80s for games on Saturday and Sunday against Ole Miss this past weekend, game-time temperature on Tuesday was 58 degrees and falling fast, with a brisk Northerly wind gusting up to 30 MPH making it seem even colder to the 4,334 fans on hand. The wind got so strong that it kicked up clouds of dust on the infield during the latter innings.
The second-ranked Tigers (28-11-1), leaders of the Southeastern Conference and Demons (29-12), leaders of the Southland Conference, complete the home-and-home set Wednesday at 7 p.m. at NSU’s Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches. The Tigers will be making their first visit to the Demons’ stadium since 1991.
LSU tries to maintain its lead in the SEC starting Friday when they host Vanderbilt to open a three-game conference series.
With a seemingly secure 9-1 lead, the Tigers’ defense collapsed, as they yielded five unearned runs to let the Demons back in the game.
It started with one out when Ryan Theriot booted Ricardo Solis’ ground ball.
Jeramie Hale then chopped a double-play ground ball to Mike Fontenot, but the LSU second baseman fumbled the ball, and all runners were safe.
Tyler Durham’s single scored Solis’ with the inning’s first run, then Solis would score on the same play when David Raymer’s throw home went to the backstop, allowing Durham to reach third. Jordan Robison then singled home Durham to make it 9-4, and another single by Brad Hanson put runners on first and second.
The Tigers committed the fourth error of the frame when Theriot threw away Ed Linck’s ground ball to load the bases. Robison came home when Fontenot booted Steven Adams’ ground ball, then Shawn West singled home Hanson.
LSU reliever Brad David finally stopped the bleeding when he got Aaron Konrad to pop to Wally Pontiff at third and fanned Solis to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
Northwestern came even closer in the eighth, as David’s wild pitch on a two-out third strike to Linck allowed Durham to score to make it 9-7.
The Tigers dominated play over the first five innings, as they built an 8-0 lead.
LSU got four runs in the second, as Todd Linden drew a leadoff walk, and soon a single by Zeph Zinsman and a walk to Matt Heath loaded the bases.
Ray Wright punched a single through the left side of the Demon infield to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead, and soon after, David Raymer’s sacrifice fly plated Zinsman, with an error by Demon catcher Shawn West on the throw home moving Wright and Heath to second and third, respectively.
A slow ground ball by Theriot to first scored Heath to make it 3-0, then after Fontenot walked, Fontenot got himself intentionally hung up between first and second, allowing Wright to scamper home before the third out was recorded.
LSU extended its lead to 6-0 in the fourth on back-to-back RBI singles by Theriot and Raymer, then a two-run single by pinch hitter Johnnie Thibodeaux made it 8-0 in the fifth.
The teams traded solo home runs in the sixth, as Linck got Northwestern on the board in the top of the frame, only to be answered by Fontenot in the bottom of the inning.
LSU starter Tim Nugent pitched five scoreless innings to earn the win, as he won his second consecutive start for the first time this season. David retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his third save of the year.