BATON ROUGE — Justin Meier limited Texas State to four hits and one run in 7.1 innings of work, while the Tigers’ offense continued its torrid pace, scoring double-digits runs for the third consecutive game, as LSU won its fifth straight contest, 10-1, Friday night at Alex Box Stadium.
The series resumes at 2 p.m. on Saturday. LSU (7-1) will send senior left-hander Lane Mestepey (2-0, 1.64) to the mound, while Texas State (8-4) will counter with junior right-hander Brian Hurley (1-1, 6.91).
LSU’s six through nine-hole hitters combined to go 9-for-15 with four runs and five RBI.
Right fielder Jon Zeringue and shortstop Derek Hebert collected two hits apiece, while Matt Liuzza tied a career high with three hits.
Will Harris broke a scoreless tie in the third inning crushing a 3-1 offering over the left field wall for his first homer of the season. Harris, making his first start on the year, finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI.
LSU recorded at least one run in each of the final six innings, including seven runs with two outs. Jon Zeringue’s RBI double down the left field line in the fourth extended the Tigers lead to 2-0. The two-base hit was Zeringue’s team-high sixth of the season.
TSU starter Paul Schappert retired the first two Tiger batters in the fifth inning, only to surrender two more runs with two outs. Blake Gill singled sharply to right field, while Nick Stavinoha followed and launched a two-out, two-run homer inside the left field fair pole. It was Stavinoha’s second homer of the season and firstsince the season-opener at Central Florida on Feb. 13.
The Tigers produced with another two-out rally in the sixth inning. Schappert set down the first two batters before Hebert, starting in place of the injured Matt Horwath, ignited a two-run frame with a single through the left side of the infield. Hebert would later score on a Will Harris double.
LSU added another run in the eighth when Ryan Patterson drilled a 2-2 Joey Gonzalez delivery into the left field bleachers.
Schappert (1-2) took the loss, giving up 10 hits and five earned runs in 5.2 innings, while adding six strikeouts.
Meier (2-0) picked up his second win of the season, allowing one run while scattering four hits and adding two strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
TSU — 000 000 010 – 1 6 2
LSU — 001 122 31X – 10 15 2
WP — Meier (2-0)
LP — Schappert (1-2)
E — Ramos 2 (7); Patterson (1), Harris, W. (1)
LOB — TSU 10; LSU 7
2B — Pearce (2); Liuzza (2), Zeringue (6), Harris, W. (1) HR — Patterson (2), Stavinoha (2), Harris, W. (2)
Time — 2:35
Att. — 7,748 (paid); 4,176 (actual)