BATON ROUGE, La. – Second-ranked LSU blasted five homers Thursday as the Tigers defeated Northern Illinois, 10-2, in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU improved to 5-0 on the year, while Northern Illinois dropped to 1-4.
The Tigers return to action at 2 p.m. CT Friday when they play host to Stony Brook in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The game will be streamed on SEC Network +, and it will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network.
Second baseman Josh Pearson led the LSU offensive effort with two homers, and centerfielder Paxton Kling, third baseman Tommy White and shortstop Michael Braswell III each added one dinger.
The game marked LSU’s first five-homer output since June 4, 2023, when the Tigers homered five times versus Oregon State in the NCAA Regional at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
“Really good day by the offense,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We’ve got a lot of hitting ability on this team, and we’ve got a lot of power, and it was good to tap into that.”
LSU reliever Nate Ackenhausen (2-0) earned the win, limiting the Huskies to one run on two hits in 3.2 innings with three walks and six strikeouts.
“A good performance by Nate, I thought he was better today than he was last week,” Johnson said. “I trust him as much as anybody on our staff, and we’re a better team because he’s an LSU Tiger.”
Left-hander Gage Jump pitched 2.1 innings in his first career LSU start, allowing just one unearned run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
NIU starting pitcher Tommy Meyer (0-2) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered five runs on four hits in in 3.0 innings with five walks and three strikeouts.
Pearson finished 3-for-3 on the day with two homers, three RBI and three runs scored, and Braswell III also collected three RBI with a homer and a sacrifice fly.
Braswell III and Kling each homered to spark an four-run second inning, and Pearson and White launched a pair of two-run dingers in the fourth.
Pearson added his second homer of the game in the seventh to account for the final margin.
Pearson homered twice in a game for the third time in his career. He also posted two-homer games in 2022 versus Nicholls and at Mississippi State.