Casan Evans and Derek Curiel Shine as LSU Run Rules Tennessee

LSU might have found its Sunday starter

“If you want to be the champ you have to beat the champ” is how the old adage goes and LSU has officially beaten the champs.

After eeking out an improbable win Friday night and getting humbled Saturday, LSU (36-9, 13-7) took the rubber match in its crucial series against Tennessee (35-9, 13-8) and run ruled the Vols 12 to 2.

Casan Evans offered up arguably the best pitching performance of LSU’s season this side of Kade Anderson’s complete game shutout against Oklahoma. Making his first ever start, Evans went six innings and only allowed two runs, including five straight shutout innings from the second on. Evans struck out six and, most importantly, didn’t walk a batter.

It didn’t look promising for Evans early on. Tennessee teed off on Evans early, tagging him for four hits and a pair of runs in the first inning, even the two fly outs to Jake Brown and Derek Curiel were rockets. Jay Johnson made a mound visit and whatever he said obviously paid dividends because Evans was a completely different pitcher from that point on. Evans didn’t allow a run over his final five innings, and went 1-2-3 in the second and fourth innings.

While Evans put up zeros, the offense awoke from whatever slumber they’ve been in the past couple of weeks. Derek Curiel wasted no time getting LSU going in the home half of the inning with a lead off shot to right field. Curiel’s 43-game on base streak came to an end in LSU’s 9-3 loss and all he did in response was flirt with the cycle: 4-4 with homer, two doubles, a walk and five RBI.

Curiel might have been a one-man wrecking crew, but he wasn’t alone in the onslaught. Curiel tied the game at 2-2 in the second inning with an RBI double, and then Jake Brown gave LSU a lead they wouldn’t surrender with a three-run nuke that went over The Intimidator.

Curiel came through again in the bottom of the fourth inning with his third hit and third RBI of the afternoon. He hit a single that scored Chris Stanfield to push LSU’s lead to 6-2. And, stop me when you’ve heard this before, Curiel came through an inning later with a two-run double to up LSU’s lead to 8-2.

In the seventh inning Michael Braswell hit his second home run in as many days to give LSU a 9-2 lead.

LSU smelled blood and the Tigers wouldn’t be denied. LSU plated three runs in the eighth inning to end the game early. The Tigers loaded the bases in the eighth and scored its 10th run off of a fielder’s choice, and then Luis Hernandez called game with a two-run double.

At the risk of stating the obvious: this was a GREAT win for LSU. But for one improbable 9th inning Friday night, Tennessee was the better team through the first two games of this series, but LSU saved its best for last. If this is how the team will be using Casan Evans from now on, the trajectory of LSU’s season might have just changed for the better.

Up next LSU will host Southeastern Tuesday night before hitting the road for College Station to take on Texas A&M.