BATON ROUGE — Freshmen Jordan Mayer and Michael Hollander led a 20-hit LSU attack, combining to go 5-for-8 with four runs and seven RBI in their first collegiate starts to secure the series for the second-ranked Tigers in a 19-2 win over Nicholls State at Alex Box Stadium on Saturday.
LSU (2-0) will go for the series sweep in the finale set for 1 p.m. Sunday. Junior left-hander Greg Smith (2-0, 2.35 in 2004) will make his first career start against Colonel lefty Marcus Markray (transfer from Paris JC).
All nine Tiger starters plated runs and six first-year players collected hits leading to the 19-2 win, the largest margin of victory by LSU since posting a 20-3 win versus Auburn on May 10, 2003. Five of the 19 runs came at the hands of four costly Colonel errors, including two by shortstop Tim Daigle.
“We figured going into the season we are going to swing the bats well through the year,” said head coach Smoke Laval. “I like us offensively, but we still have a few question marks defensively. Our plan at the plate was good and our outs were hard.”
Sophomore left-hander Clay Dirks (1-0) picked up the win going six strong innings, allowing one run on just two hits and striking out five. Dirks fired 73 pitches in his first victory since an 8-0 win at Tennessee on April 25 last season.
“Dirks did what he was supposed to do and could have done better as the game went on,” said Laval. “He got into a groove, and I was satisfied with his first outing.”
Nicholls starter Justin Breaux (0-1) suffered the loss in just 1.1 innings of work. Breaux surrendered eight runs (all earned) on eight hits, walked two and struck out one.
LSU erupted for seven runs on seven hits in the first inning, including a pair of triples from Bruce Sprowl and Mayer. Clay Harris started the scoring with an RBI single through the middle, and two batters later Bryan Harris collected an RBI double.
Mayer, in the first at-bat of his career, drove a seemingly harmless fly ball that carried off of the wall for a three-run triple and broke the game open early for a 5-0 Tiger advantage. Hollander delivered in his first official at-bat as well, ripping an RBI single to centerfield to plate Mayer. Sprowl followed and closed out the barrage with an RBI triple to deep right-centerfield.
Breaux fell into trouble again in the second, letting three of the first four batters reach to start the frame. Right-hander Bryan Myers relieved the southpaw, inheriting a bases loaded jam. Although Myers allowed a run-scoring walk to Will Harris, he minimized the damage retiring the next two batters to end the side.
Meanwhile, Dirks cruised through the first three innings, setting down the first 10 Colonel batters before allowing a walk to Daigle with one out in the fourth. Daigle moved to third on Anthony Hatch’s bloop single, the first hit allowed by Dirks in the contest. Bubba Bell’s fielder’s choice groundball got the Colonels on the board, making it a 9-1 contest.
LSU added five-spots in the fifth and seventh, highlighted by Mayer’s first career homer, a three-run blast over the left field wall in the fifth. Rhett Buteau and Chris Jackson added RBI singles and Will Davis collected his first career hit with an RBI single in the seventh.
Both Hollander and Clay Harris collected three hits apiece, and Mayer finished the game with a 2-for-3 effort with two runs and six RBI.
“I went up to the plate with a plan and picked the right pitches and executed well,” said the Alexandria, La. native. “There are a lot of guys on this team and any nine guys in the lineup are going to do a great job. Offensively, we are very strong, and we hope to continue this into the season.”
Reliever Brandon Nall made his first appearance since the 2003 season in the seventh and completed one inning, allowing one run on one hit. Junior college transfer Chris Cahill made his much anticipated debut in the ninth forcing a double-play ground ball to end the game for the second consecutive night.
LSU 19, Nicholls State 2 (Feb 12, 2005 at Baton Rouge, La.)
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Nicholls State…… 000 100 100 – 2 5 4 (0-2)
LSU…………….. ……..711 050 50X – 19 20 1 (2-0)
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Pitchers: Nicholls State – Breaux, Just; Myers, Bryan(2); George, Aaro(6). LSU – Dirks; Nall(7); Cahill(9).
Win-Dirks(1-0) Loss-Breaux, Just(0-1) T-2:44 A-8236
HR LSU – Mayer (1).
Actual Attendance: 5,359