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The LSU Tigers opened the Baton Rouge Super Regional in a big way, hosting the West Virginia Mountaineers at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers put up seven runs in the fifth and six more in the sixth to take Game 1 16-9 and put the Tigers one win away from their second trip to Omaha under Jay Johnson.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
West Virginia had their first real scoring chance in the top of the second inning as they got back-to-back singles off of Kade Anderson before a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position with just one out. Jace Rinehart grounded out to third base to scratch across the first run of the game and give the Mountaineers the early edge.
Anderson gave up just the two hits through the first four innings of work to keep the score 1-0. In the bottom half, both Luis Hernandez and Daniel Dickinson were hit by pitches to put a pair of Tigers on with just one out. Derek Curiel then launched an opposite field three-run home run to put the Tigers ahead 3-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, LSU loaded the bases as West Virginia made a pair of pitching changes in the process. With no outs and the bases juiced, Steven Milam got a hold of a fastball that just barely got over the right field wall for a grand slam and a 7-1 LSU lead.
Luis Hernandez walked and then Dickinson followed with a walk, but Hernandez was able to advance to third when nobody from West Virginia noticed he was still moving. Curiel got his fourth RBI of the afternoon to score Hernandez and make it 8-1 before Chris Stanfield brought in runs six and seven of the inning to make it a 10-1 game after five.
West Virginia opened the sixth with a single and a double to put two in scoring position with nobody out. Then, King drove both runs in on a single to right center as the Mountaineers inched closer to the Tigers with a 10-3 score. Pinch hitter Chase Swain singled up the middle to add another run to further dip into LSU’s lead at 10-4 with just one out.
Brodie Kresser then grounded into what was neary a double play, but the second error of the day from Milam allowed another run to score and make it 10-5.
Jared Jones started the bottom of the sixth with a double before Milam was walked and Dickinson was hit by a pitch. Then, with the bases loaded and one out, Curiel drew a walk to bring in run #11 for the Tigers on the afternoon. Ashton Larson continued the trend with the fourth walk of the inning to make it 12-5.
Josh Pearson joined the home run party as he launched the second grand slam of the day into right field as the Tigers fully opened the flood gates with a 16-5 lead.
Gavin Kelly then took Kade Anderson for a ride, a two-run blast to right center as the Mountaineers added a pair of runs to their total at 16-7.
In the top of the ninth, Kyle West got on the scoring column with a two-run homer off of William Schmidt to make it 16-9 in favor of the Bayou Bengals.
Maverick Rizy shut the door as the LSU Tigers beat the West Virginia Mountaineers 16-9 in Game 1.
BIG NUMBER: 7
LSU was able to score their 16 runs on seven hits, benefitting from eight walks and five hit by pitches in the contest.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Derek Curiel
Curiel was great at the plate, even in a different spot in the lineup. The freshman drove in five runs with a three-run homer, RBI single, and drew a bases-loaded walk.
UP NEXT: Game 2 of the Super Regional between LSU and West Virginia will begin Sunday at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.