The LSU Tigers defeated the Dallas Baptist Patriots 12-0 on Saturday night in Alex Box Stadium. The win advances LSU to the Regional Final on Sunday night while DBU will now have to face Arkansas-Little Rock in an elimination game tomorrow afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LSU (45-14) went with left-hander Kade Anderson on the mound. He was effective in the first, allowing a walk but working around it to post a zero.
DBU (41-17) countered with Micah Bucknam. Bucknam, who was on the LSU roster last year, got two quick outs to start the bottom half. However, a walk and a hit by pitch allowed Ethan Frey to deliver a two-out, two-run double that gave LSU an early 2-0 lead.
In the second inning, DBU threatened but got doubled up on a diving catch and throw back behind a runner that over-slid the base. Then, Chris Stanfield extended the lead by hitting his first homer of the season, a solo shot to make it 3-0.
The Tigers’ offense just kept hitting, forcing Bucknam out of the game in just the third. Two more runs came across with Stanfield adding the latter with an RBI single. At 5-0, DBU went to the bullpen. Derek Curiel quickly added another RBI, and LSU had a 6-0 lead after three.
Another run was tacked on in the fifth for LSU, and at this point Anderson was cruising. He would go seven scoreless, striking out eleven in a dominant outing.
One of the more surprising aspects of this game is that DBU went to the best arm they had left when the game was already nearly out of hand. James Ellwanger threw 92 pitches in 4 1/3 innings of relief, and likely will not be used again in this tournament.
LSU would add insurance runs in the late stages, and this game’s result was never in doubt. They secured the 12-0 win.
BIG NUMBER: 11
Anderson struck out 11 batters in a masterful performance. DBU chose to throw some of their best arms in relief, but it did not matter because of Anderson’s ability to keep the Patriots off the scoreboard.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chris Stanfield
Stanfield went 3-4, hitting his first home run of the season while driving in three. He was a part of an LSU offense that was rolling early and often in the victory.
UP NEXT: LSU advances to the Regional Final on Sunday night at 8:00 PM. They will face the winner of DBU and Little Rock. You can listen to the game on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette 104.1 Lake Charles.