BATON ROUGE, La. - Top-ranked LSU pounded out eight hits and scored 13 runs Sunday afternoon to propel the Tigers to a 13-0 and second consecutive run-rule victory in seven innings against Central Connecticut State inside Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU picked up its 10th win of the season, moving to 10-1 on the year, while CCSU falls to 2-2 on its season.
The Tigers’ next contest in the four-game series is scheduled for Monday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The matchup with the Butler Bulldogs can be viewed on SEC Network+ and can be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates.
LSU pitchers held CCSU hitters to five hits on the afternoon. Starter Chase Shores got LSU off to a good start, tossing 3.2 innings and getting around several jams. He was lifted in the fourth inning after giving up no runs on three hits.
Left-hander Nate Ackenhausen (2-0) came in relief for Shores and picked up his second win of the season. He fired 1.1 innings and gave no runs on no hits with one punchout.
“It was a good game,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “I was pleased with the pitching; I thought Chase Shores did a great job, and we got his pitch count up a little bit, which we’ve been trying to do. Nate Ackenhausen came in and was effective, just as he’s been each time so far, and he got a big strikeout with the bases loaded. I liked the shutout and liked the errorless game by our defense.
“Offensively, I thought we were pretty good, but there’s a couple of at-bats I’d like to have back. We’ll keep working on those, but I’m not going to complain about 13 runs in six innings of offense.”
LSU used a bevy of relievers after Ackenhausen including Griffin Herring, Garrett Edwards, and Christian Little. The trio would throw two scoreless innings while picking up four strikeouts with two hits allowed.
LSU opened the scoring in the bottom of the first after Shores put together a strong top of the first. Second baseman Gavin Dugas and left fielder Tre’ Morgan reached via a hit-by-pitch and catcher’s interference. Centerfielder Dylan Crews came up to the plate and on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, smoked a two-RBI double down the left-field line.
The Tigers led 2-0 early in the first inning with no outs.
Following another HBP from designated hitter Tommy White, shortstop Jordan Thompson doubled to right field and scored Crews from second. Third baseman Brayden Jobert accounted for the first out of the inning with an RBI groundout. LSU led 4-0 after one inning.
Both offenses could not scratch any runs across until the bottom of the fourth inning. Both catcher Brady Neal and right-fielder Paxton Kling drew a base on balls with the top of the order coming up. Dugas delivered and smoked an RBI double to left field.
With runners on second and third, Morgan beat out a chopper to the right side of the infield, scoring Kling, the sixth LSU run of the game. Leading 6-0, White hit a slow roller up the middle and scored Dugas from third. CCSU second baseman Brady Short made an errant throw to first, which scored Morgan from second.
LSU’s lead increased to 8-0 after four innings.
En route to the second consecutive run-rule victory this weekend, senior Cade Beloso ripped a line drive that landed in the right-field bleachers in the bottom of the sixth inning. With a 13-run lead after six-and-a-half innings, the game ended in run-rule fashion.
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