BATON ROUGE, La.-Top-ranked
and defending national champion LSU scored in each of the first seven innings
to extended its home win streak out to 18 games as the Tigers defeated ULM 18-7
Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers (12-0) took a 5-1
lead after the opening three innings and then put the game out of reach with seven
runs off three ULM relief pitchers in the fourth inning. Trey Watkins had a
two-run home run and Micha Gibbs added a three-run homer to account for five of
LSU's runs in the fourth.
Judd Edwards led the Warhawks offensively
as the freshman was 3-for-3 on the night upping his batting average to .524 on
the season - he also drove in a run and scored twice. Caleb Clowers finished
the game 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, Jordy Poche drove in a pair of
runs and Nick Wade drew three walks.
Leon Landry reached base all
four times he was up for LSU finishing the game 3-for-3 with a single, a
double, a triple and a walk. Blake Dean drove in four runs, while Mikey Mahtook,
Landry and Gibbs finished the game with three RBIs for LSU.
ULM (5-5) answered LSU's
seven-run fourth with a five-spot in the top of the fifth to pull within six,
12-6. Clowers scored on a bases loaded walk, Shane Ardoin scored on a wild
pitch and then Poche hammered a double to left-center to plate two more. With
runners on second and third, LSU reliever Shane Riedie balked to allow Kelvin
York to score.
LSU responded right back with three
runs in the bottom of the frame on the strength of four consecutive base hits
to start the inning. The Tigers added another run in the sixth and two more in
the seventh.
York drove home ULM's final
run of the night with a single back up the middle in the seventh after Edwards
lined a two-out double down the right-field line - his fifth double in six
starts.
The Warhawks had chances to
plate some early runs against Tiger starter Michael Reed. They had runners on
first and second with one out in both the first and second innings, but a
double play ended each frame without a run.
Boomer Blanchard and Clowers
put the Warhawks on the board with back-to-back one-out doubles in the top of
the third inning. Wade followed with a walk to put the tying run at the plate
with LSU holding a 4-1 lead. However, Reed retired the next two Warhawks to
escape the inning with just the one run on the board.
Reed finished one out shy of
picking up his first career victory. The freshman allowed five runs on six hits
over 4.2 innings of work - his night ended after walking three consecutive batters
in the bottom of the fourth, including Edwards with the bases loaded. Ben Alsup
(1-0) earned the win for LSU allowing one run on two hits over 3.1 innings.
Corey Brown (0-2) was saddled
with the loss for ULM after he allowed five runs on four hits over three
innings of work.
The Warhawks return home to
face Memphis on Wednesday night. First pitch from Warhawk Field is scheduled
for 6:30 p.m. ULM will send junior right-hander Stefan Comeaux (1-0, 11.37 ERA)
to the bump, while the Tigers will counter with sophomore right-hander Heith
Hatfield (1-2, 7.56).
The game will be broadcast live in northeast Louisiana on 540 AM and
worldwide on the internet at ulmwarhawks.com. Fans can also watch the game live
online in Warhawks All*Access and can follow the action for free with live
stats - both can be accessed by logging onto ulmwarhawks.com.
