LSU Gold

OXFORD, Miss. – Four LSU pitchers combined to fire the Tigers’ 12th shutout of the season Saturday, as the seventh-ranked Tigers blanked No. 10 Ole Miss, 2-0, in front of 9,741 fans at Swayze Field.

LSU, which won an SEC series over Ole Miss for the fourth straight season, improved to 30-10-1 overall and 10-7-1 in the SEC. The Tigers have won three straight SEC series and 10 of their last 12 games.

Ole Miss, which was shut out for the first time this season, dropped to 30-11 overall and 10-8 in conference play.

LSU established a school record for shutouts with 11 when the Tigers blanked Lamar on April 9. LSU’s season-high for shutouts prior to this year was 10 in 1996.

LSU returns to action at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when the Tigers play host to Tulane in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

LSU pitchers Alden Cartwright, Hunter Devall, Parker Bugg and Kurt McCune combined to limit Ole Miss, the SEC’s top-hitting team entering the series, to no runs on six hits.

“This was a tremendous team victory in which our pitching and defense were truly sensational,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We were hoping to get two solid innings out of Alden Cartwright to start the game, and he exceeded our expectations with a brilliant effort. He was complete unafraid in a very hostile environment and really set the tone for the game.

“Devall and Bugg followed Cartwright’s lead with great outings, and our senior veteran, Kurt McCune, did the job again in the ninth. To win a series here is tremendous accomplishment, and I could not be more proud of the LSU Tigers.”

Cartwright, in his first career SEC start, worked four innings, allowing just two singles with no walks and strikeouts. He retired the first 10 Rebel batters he faced before allowing a single in the fourth to centerfielder Auston Bousfield.

Devall (1-0) was credited win the win as he entered  the game to start the fifth and pitched 2.2 innings, limiting the Rebels to two hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

Bugg relieved Devall in the seventh and pitched 1.1 innings, giving up just one hit. McCune worked the ninth and earned his third save of the season, allowing one hit with one strikeout.

McCune retired Bousfield on a fly ball to right to lead off the ninth, but third baseman Austin Anderson singled sharply off of McCune’s  hip to bring the tying run to the plate. Catcher Will Allen lifted a fly ball down the right field line that was caught in foul territory on a superb running effort by rightfielder Mark Laird just in front of the grandstand.

McCune walked first baseman Sikes Orvis, but designated hitter Holt Perdzock grounded to Conner Hale at second base to end the game.

LSU opened the scoring in the second against Ole Miss starter Sam Smith (5-3) on an RBI single by centerfielder Andrew Stevenson, scoring Hale, who led off the inning with a single.

Smith, however, settled in and retired 10 consecutive batters from the fourth through seventh innings. Hale ended the streak by leading off the eighth with a solo homer, his first dinger of the season and his first in an LSU uniform.

Hale had five hits in the series and scored  five of the seven runs LSU tallied in the three games.

Smith was charged with the loss Saturday as he surrendered two runs on five hits in 7.1 innings with one walk and four strikeouts.