PRESS RELEASE
BATON ROUGE – AJ Labas had a night to remember, earning his first career complete game shutout and striking out a career-high nine as LSU defeated Lamar 8-0 Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium. The last time a LSU pitcher threw a complete game shutout was last season when Alex Lange went the distance against Auburn.
Josh Smith was welcomed back to LSU lineup for the first time since opening weekend, going 2-for-3 and launching his second home run of the season.
LSU will travel to Oxford, Mississippi this weekend to take on No. 6 Ole Miss at at Swayze Field.
Jace Campbell went 6.2 innings allowing four hits and four runs, 3 earned, as he suffered the loss for Lamar.
With second baseman Brandt Broussard on first base in the third inning, third baseman Smith got his first hit back in the lineup after a nine-week hiatus due to injury, putting runners on first and third with one out. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Antoine Duplantis scored Broussard and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead over Lamar.
To begin the fourth inning, the first three batters reached safely for Lamar, loading the bases up with no outs. Labas preceded to strike the next two Lamar hitters out. Cole Secrest smoked a liner, but it was right at shortstop Hal Hughes as the Tigers were able to work out of the bases-loaded jam with no outs.
Leading off the sixth inning for the Tigers, Smith launched his second home run of the year – his first came against Notre Dame on opening night to lead an LSU comeback victory. With one out, left fielder Daniel Cabrera drew a walk and worked his way over to third base after he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error from the catcher. First baseman Austin Bain extended his hitting streak to nine games, driving a single to center that dropped despite a diving effort from Lamar centerfielder Cole Girouard, as Cabreracame across to score, extending the LSU lead to 3-0.
Catcher Hunter Feduccia walked to begin the seventh inning for LSU and was moved to third base after two productive outs. After Smith was pitched around, Duplantis lined a single up the middle, scoring Feduccia. Cabrera then launched a double, scoring Jake Slaughter, pinch running for Smith, and Duplantis, as LSU took the 6-0 lead.
The Tigers tacked on two more runs when the bases were loaded in the eighth inning with two outs. A sharply hit ball off the bat of Slaughter got past the shortstop, Philip Ingram, as the Tigers took an 8-0 lead.
Labas got his eighth and ninth strikeouts of the evening in the ninth inning as he was able to hold Lamar off the scoreboard and propel the Tigers to victory.
