LSU takes Game 1 of the Baton Rouge Super Regional in wild fashion

Tigers now one win away from their second trip to Omaha in three years.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon for baseball at Alex Box Stadium as the LSU Tigers hosted the Mountaineers of West Virginia in the Baton Rouge Super Regional.

LSU started Kade Anderson on the bump while WVU went with their ace in Griffin Kirn.

Early in the second inning, a pair of singles from Sam White and Gavin Kelly set up a sacrifice bunt to get both runners in scoring position with just one out. Then, Jace Rinehart grounded out to Michael Braswell to score the first run of the weekend.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Luis Hernandez took a pitch to the inside of the knee and was on the ground for several seconds. After talking with the medical team, Hernandez remained in the game. Then, Daniel Dickinson was also struck with a pitch by Kirn. Derek Curiel stepped up and sent a missile to left field for a three-run opposite field homer that put LSU on the scoreboard with a 3-1 lead in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fifth, LSU faced three different pitchers and loaded the bases as Josh Pearson got a single to right field before walks to Ethan Frey and Jared Jones. Steven Milam then cleared with the bases on a pitch that nearly went foul, but got just enough to get over the wall for a grand slam and a 7-1 LSU lead. For Milam, it was his 11th homer of the season and his first career grand slam.

After walks to Hernandez and Daniel Dickinson, Hernandez ran to third on the walk to put runners at the corners with no outs. Curiel then scored Hernandez on a single to make it 8-1 before Chris Stanfield drove in a pair to make it 10-1 after five innings.

The Mountaineers drove in a pair of runs on a single from Skylar King to cut the lead to 10-3. Chase Swain then singled another run in before a grounder from Brodie Kresser could’ve been a double play ball, but a throwing error from Milam allowed the fifth run to come in. LSU was able to get out of the inning, but not before giving up a four-spot in the frame.

The Tigers answered in the bottom half as they loaded the bases early thanks to a double from Jared Jones, a walk to Milam, and an HBP to Dickinson. Curiel was then walked to bring in Jones and make it 11-5, followed by a walk of Ashton Larson to increase the advantage to 12-5.

However, the Tigers weren’t done as Josh Pearson hit the second grand slam of the day to make it 16-5. LSU got six runs off of two hits in the inning.

West Virginia scored two in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-run homer from Gavin Kelly, but that would be it for the Mountaineers in the inning.

In the ninth, West Virginia added two more with a two-run blast from Kyle West to make it 16-9, but that would be all as Maverick Rizy came in to close the deal and win Game 1 for the Tigers.