BATON ROUGE — The LSU baseball team swept a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday, edging Southern, 9-7, in the first game and defeating Nicholls State, 8-3, in the nightcap at Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers were forced to schedule the twin bill when LSU’s regularly-scheduled game with Southern was rained out last Wednesday. The doubleheader was the Tigers’ first since facing Temple twice in February 2006.
LSU improved to 26-20-1with the two victories. Southern dropped to 22-16, and Nicholls State fell to 6-40 with the losses.
The Tigers play a three-game series at No. 3 Arkansas, which is tied for the lead in Southeastern Conference standings, this weekend in Baum Stadium. Game times are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 12:35 p.m. Sunday.
GAME 1: LSU 9, SOUTHERN 7
LSU erased a 5-4 deficit with five runs in the bottom of the eighth and held on to defeat Southern, 9-7, in the first game of the twin bill at Alex Box Stadium.
Second baseman Chris Jackson went 4-for-4 and scored a run from the leadoff spot, and third baseman J.T. Wise added two hits with a double, a homer and a career-high five RBI. Right fielder Jason Lewis provided a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning.
“Obviously, in the end we got a big hit by Jason Lewis,” said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. “J.T. Wise had a big day. Chris Jackson had a big day. It wasn’t a tremendously played game by our team, but at this point you will take anything you can get.”
Jackson began the go-ahead inning with a leadoff double off the top of the centerfield wall. Shortstop Michael Hollander advanced him to third with a fly ball, and designated hitter Blake Dean tied the game with an RBI single up the middle.
Southern reliever Sherrod Brooks issued two straight walks before Lewis delivered with a two-out, bases-loaded single through the middle, scoring Dean and centerfielder Jared Mitchell.
Wise followed and drove in a pair of significant runs with a double into the left field corner, plating pinch runner Chris McGhee and first baseman Sean Ochinko.
Freshman reliever Paul Bertuccini inherited a 9-5 lead entering the ninth. Southern countered with two unearned runs before Bertuccini recorded the final out. Left fielder Brad McDavid reached base when Jackson misplayed a fly ball with two outs, allowing Victor Franklin and Brandon Revis to score.
Bertuccini eventually retired the side on an infield pop-up by first baseman Kevin Cox, stranding the tying runs on base.
Bertuccini (1-2) was credited with his first career win, limiting the Jags to one hit and no earned runs in two innings of work. He was one of four LSU pitchers who saw action.
Starter Charlie Furbush, who threw just over 40 pitches last Friday against Tennessee, worked four innings, allowing four hits and a run. The left-hander walked none and struck out six.
Southern took a 1-0 lead against Furbush in the top of the second on a run-scoring single by first baseman Roy Merritt. LSU began the first of three lead changes when Wise cranked a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth off of starter Antonio Garth. It was Wise’s second homer of the season and his first since March 3 against Lipscomb.
Garth (3-3) allowed six runs on seven hits before leaving in the eighth. He walked two and struck out five.
“I can see why he (Garth) gave LSU fits last year,” said Mainieri. “He just lets you get yourself out. He throws a bunch of stuff up there out of the strike zone, and if you are willing to chase after it, you are going to hit a couple of weak ground balls, which is what we did the first three innings of the game.”
The Jags knotted the game at 3-3 in the sixth against sophomore Louis Coleman. Franklin lined a one-out double to the gap, and second baseman Gerard Gause launched a two-run homer over the left field wall.
Coleman fanned the first two batters of the seventh before LSU’s one-run advantage evaporated. Lewis dropped a fly ball in the right field corner. Mainieri then summoned Nolan Cain from the bullpen.
Cain gave up an RBI single to Revis, and Franklin tied the game again with his third hit — a triple into the left field corner scoring Revis.
LSU 9, Southern 7 (May 01, 2007 at Baton Rouge, La.)
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Southern………… 010 002 202 – 7 12 1 (22-16)
LSU……………….. 000 031 05X – 9 9 3 (25-20-1)
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Pitchers: Southern – Antonio Garth; Sherrod Brooks(8). LSU – Charlie Furbush; Louis Coleman(5); Nolan Cain(7); Paul Bertuccini(8).
Win-Paul Bertuccini(1-2) Loss-Antonio Garth(3-3) T-3:12 A-6951
HR SU – Gerard Gause (3).
HR LSU – J.T. Wise (3).
Cain faced 2 batters in the 8th.
GAME 2: LSU 8, NICHOLLS STATE 3
Senior left-hander Clay Dirks allowed just one run in five-plus inningsl, leading LSU to an 8-3 win over Nicholls State in the second game of the doubleheader.
Dirks (3-1), who was making his third start of the season and 46th of his career, held the Colonels to a run on five hits in 5.2 innings of work to pick up the win.
The victory was the 26th of his career, placing him one win shy of 10th-place in LSU career pitching wins.
“I was really happy for him,” said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. “He’s done some great things in his career. I am just really happy for the kid to go out there and pitch well. I wanted to get him out of the game where everybody could recognize him coming off the field.”
Dirks was one of four Tiger players honored prior to the game as part of LSU’s Senior Night ceremonies, which also included outfielder Steven Broschofsky, outfielder Steven Waguespack and pitcher Jonathan Wilhite.
Broschofsky went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. First baseman Jordan Mayer launched one of the longest homers in Alex Box Stadium history, and catcher Sean Ochinko added a homer and a three RBI.
Broschofsky put LSU in front 1-0 in the second innings with his first double of the season, scoring Nicholas Pontiff, who also doubled.
Dirks allowed his only run in the fourth as NSU tied the game on an infield single by designated hitter John Beauchamp.
LSU responded in its half of the frame by taking the lead for good with two runs against starter Brian Sparks. Broschofsky singled to center and took second on an error by centerfielder Devin Steib. Mayer then crushed a Sparks offering for a towering, two-run homer that hit the top of the left-field light standard.
The blast, his fourth of the season, was arguably one of the the longest homers by an LSU player.
Dirks gave way to fellow senior Wilhite with two outs in the sixth, tipping his cap to the LSU fans as they gave him a standing ovation.
“It was pretty emotional for me,” said Dirks, whose father passed away several years ago. “Just to have my family here and the standing ovation was very nice. When I was walking off of the field, I pointed to the sky because I know my dad is watching over me now.”
Wilhite recorded the final out of the inning, and relievers Shane Ardoin, Kyle Beerbohm and J.T. Wise worked a combined two scoreless innings.
The Tigers pushed across two more runs in the sixth on a sharp RBI single up the middle by third baseman Chris Jackson. Ochinko put the finishing touches on the sweep with his team-leading seventh homer — a three-run shot — in the eighth.
Sparks (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings of work.
LSU 8, Nicholls State 3 (May 01, 2007 at Baton Rouge, La)
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Nicholls State…… 000 100 002 – 3 9 2 (6-40)
LSU………………… 010 202 03X – 8 13 0 (26-20-1)
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Pitchers: Nicholls State – Sparks, Brian; Harding, Ryan(6); Quebedeaux, Nathan(8). LSU – Clay Dirks; Jonathan Wilhite(6); Shane Ardoin(7); Kyle Beerbohm(8); J.T. Wise(8); Matt Jackson(9).
Win-Clay Dirks(3-1) Loss-Sparks, Brian(1-4) T-2:42 A-7269
HR LSU – Sean Ochinko (7); Jordan Mayer (4).
Actual attendance: 2,485