LSU Defeats Xavier, 8-2, on Saturday as Jump Fires Five Scoreless Innings
Gage Jump (2-0) fired five shutout innings, limiting the Musketeers to three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts, recording 87 pitches in the outing. The teams will play the weekend series finale at 12 p.m. CT Sunday in a game that will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network +.
BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU left-hander Gage Jump recorded five shutout innings Saturday, and leftfielder Ethan Frey and designated hitter Hayden Travinski each produced three RBI as the second-ranked Tigers defeated Xavier, 8-2, in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU, which has won nine straight games, improved to 14-1 on the year, while Xavier dropped to 7-8.
The teams will play the weekend series finale at 12 p.m. CT Sunday in a game that will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network +.
Jump (2-0) fired five scoreless innings, limiting the Musketeers to three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts, recording 87 pitches in the outing.
“It was a terrific outing by Gage, and Xavier really battled him,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “He was able to work his way through it, and the best part was I thought he got better as the game progressed.”
Xavier starter Nolan Hughes (0-3) was charged with the loss, as he allowed four runs – one earned – on two hits in 1.2 innings with four walks and three strikeouts.
Frey was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and three RBI, and Travinski was 2-for-4 with a double, a solo homer and three RBI.
“Ethan has immense talent; he’s a hard worker and a great kid,” Johnson said. “He’s a very good baseball player who continues to develop.”
Frey’s two-out, bases-loaded double in the first inning staked the Tigers to a 3-0 lead, and LSU added a run in the second on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Steven Milam.
Travinski’s home run – his third of the season – extended the lead to 5-0 in the fourth, and the Tigers scored three more runs in the fifth as Milam delivered an RBI single and Travinski smashed a two-run double.
“Hayden had a great game, and I think he’s had a really good week,” Johnson said. “He’s putting together really good at-bats, and he’s really committed right now to getting his pitch. He’s very dangerous, and he basically handled everything thrown at him tonight.”
LSU relievers Cam Johnson, Samuel Dutton, Nic Bronzini and Will Hellmers combined to pitch the final four innings, holding the Musketeers to two runs on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Hellmers worked two perfect frames to finish the game, registering one strikeout.