After an early stumble, the LSU Tigers brought the aluminum hitting four home runs on the way to a 12-4 win over Cincinnati (0-3) on Sunday afternoon.
The Bearcats got on the board in the top of the first with Connor McVey hitting an RBI double to go up 1-0. Ryan Noda gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead later in the inning after he flied out to centerfield when Devin Wenzel rushed 90 feet to home.
The Tigers cut away at the lead in the bottom of the first with Jake Fraley scoring off of a bases-loaded walk. They proceeded to tie things up in the bottom of the third with a sac fly from Beau Jordan that allowed Bryce Jordan to score.
The Tigers began to pull away in the bottom of the fourth when STM alum O’Neal Lochridge wrapped a two-run homer around the left-field foul pole to go up 4-2. And it was the bottom of the fifth where the Tigers busted the game wide open with designated hitter Bryce Adams smashing a grand slam to left field. The Tigers scored again in the fifth with Cole Freeman hitting a single that allowed Lafayette High alum Antoine Duplantis to score.
After a pair of runs in the top of the sixth by Cincinnati, it was all Tiger with three more runs in the bottom half of the frame.
John Valek III got the win allowing four runs, two of which were earned off of four hits. Valek also struck out seven and hit one batter in five and two-thirds innings of work.
The Tigers (3-0) will hit the road on Wednesday to Beaumont to take on Lamar (3-0) with first pitch set for 6 pm.
-Clint Domingue