Live Updates/Thread: No. 1 LSU vs. Kentucky

No. 1 LSU is back in action against Kentucky where they will look to claim another SEC series. After splitting the series against South Carolina last weekend after a rainout, the Tigers look to get back on track to earn another conference series win.

LSU came out the gate hot against the Wildcats on Thursday night, launching two grand slams on their way to a big-time victory over a talented Kentucky squad.

Here are a few notes ahead of the matchup, what Jay Johnson and the live updates/thread for the Friday night showdown.

Notes:

- LSU has won nine of its last 11 games, including an SEC two-game series split at No. 3 South Carolina last weekend. LSU’s 28-5 record is its best through 32 games since 2015, when the Tigers were also 27-5. The Tigers are No. 4 in the most recent NCAA RPI rankings.

- LSU, which has been ranked No. 1 all season – nine straight weeks – by all of the college baseball polls, enters this week at or near the top of several NCAA statistical categories … the Tigers are No. 1 in the nation in shutouts pitched (7), on-base percentage (.452), runs scored (332) and scoring average (10.4 runs per game). The Tigers are No. 3 nationally in batting average (.333), hits allowed per nine innings (6.57) and slugging percentage (.591), No. 4 in strikeouts pitched per nine innings (11.9) and No. 5 in WHIP (1.18).

What Jay Johnson Said

“Kentucky has a really good identity – they know who they are, and they play to that well. I’ve known (Kentucky coach) Nick Mingione a really long time, and he’s a very thoughtful guy in how he puts together his program, his roster. They bunt as well as any team that we’ve played since I’ve been at LSU. They do a good job with the running game; there are literally no holds barred on that end. So, we have some things we need to do to control what they do well.”

Pregame

LSU's Starting Lineup

Tre Morgan LF

Dylan Crews CF

Tommy White 3B

Cade Beloso DH

Jared Jones 1B

Brayden Jobert RF

Jordan Thompson SS

Ben Nippolt 2B

Alex Milazzo C

Ty Floyd P

Kentucky's Starting Lineup

Mixing it up just a bit tonight.

🆚 No. 1 LSU
🏟 Alex Box Stadium (Baton Rouge, La.)
⌚️ 7:30 p.m. ET
📻 https://t.co/YSiOMpm6cG AM WLAP
📊 https://t.co/yDSC1cdBCb
🔗 https://t.co/KDYHuw7A5p pic.twitter.com/nVQNwQeqYz
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) April 14, 2023

Live Game Log:

Top First

Ty Floyd (LSU) pitching

Gray: Fly out to center

Waldschmidt: Fly out to center

Pitre: Walk, stolen base

Gilliam: Hit by pitch

*Runners advance to second and third on throwing error by Milazzo*

Burkes: Fly out to center

Bottom First

Logan Martin (Kentucky) pitching

Morgan: Groundout to first base

Crews: Walk

White: Double to right center scores Crews from first

Beloso: Walk

Jones: Strikeout swinging

Jobert: Groundout

Score Update: LSU 1, Kentucky 0

Top Second

Ty Floyd (LSU) pitching

Felker: Single up the middle, out stealing second

McCarthy: Walk

Stanke: Two-run home run to right field

Smith: Strikeout swinging

Gray: Single to centerfield

Waldschmidt: Single, bunt advances runner to second

Pitre: Flyout

Bottom Second

Logan Martin (Kentucky) pitching

Thompson: Single to left field

Nippolt: Walk

Milazzo: Sacrifice bunt advances runners to second and third

Morgan: RBI single scores both Thompson and Nippolt

*Pitching Change: Darren Williams enters the game for Kentucky

Crews: Walk

White: Grounded into double play

Score Update: LSU 3, Kentucky 2

Top Third

Ty Floyd (LSU) pitching

Gilliam: Fouled out to first base

Burkes: Fly out to right field

Felker: Fly out to center

Bottom Third

Darren Williams (Kentucky) pitching

Beloso: Walk

Jones: Strikeout

Jobert: Hit by pitch

Thompson: Fouled out to first base

Nippolt: Groundout to third

Top Fourth

Ty Floyd (LSU) pitching

McCarthy: Strikeout

Stanke: Fly out to center

Smith: Fly out to center

Bottom Fourth

Darren Williams (Kentucky) pitching

Milazzo: Strikeout

Morgan: Hit by pitch

Crews: RBI double scores Morgan from first base

White: Two-run home run

Beloso: Fly out to right field

Jones: Groundout to shortstop

Score Update: LSU 6, Kentucky 2

Top Fifth

Ty Floyd (LSU) pitching

Gray: Groundout to first base

Waldschmidt: Single to right field

Pitre: Reached first on fielders choice

Gilliam: Walk

Burkes: RBI single scores Pitre

*Pitching Change: Griffin Herring enters the game for LSU*

Felker: Reaches base on fielding error by Tommy White at 3B

McCarthy: Triples to right field to tie this game 6-6

Stanke: RBI single scores Felker (Kentucky 7, LSU 6)

Smith: Strikeout

Bottom Fifth

Darren Williams (Kentucky) pitching

Jobert: Single to right field, steals second base

Thompson: Strikeout swinging

*Pitching Change: Mason Moore enters the game for Kentucky*

Nippolt: Hit by pitch

Milazzo: Grounded into double play to end the inning

Score Update: Kentucky 7, LSU 6

Top Sixth

Griffin Herring (LSU) pitching

Gray: Groundout to second base

Waldschmidt: Fly out to centerfield

Pitre: Single to left field

Gilliam: Fly out to right field

Bottom Sixth

Mason Moore (Kentucky) pitching

Morgan: Groundout to shortstop

Crews: Walk

White: Grounded into double play to end the inning

Score Update: Kentucky 7, LSU 6

Top Seventh

Griffin Herring (LSU) pitching

Burkes: Hit by pitch

Felker: Reaches first on throwing error by Herring

McCarthy: Hit by pitch (loads the bases)

Stanke: RBI single to centerfield scores Burkes

Smith: Sacrifice fly scores another run for the Wildcats (Kentucky 9, LSU 6)

Gray: Single up the middle

Waldschmidt: Walk, run comes in

Pitre: RBI single to second base (Kentucky 11, LSU 6)

*Pitching Change: Blake Money enters the game for LSU*

Gilliam: Sacrifice fly scores a run and advances Waldschmidt to third

Burkes: Groundout to third base ends the inning

Bottom Seventh

Mason Moore (Kentucky) pitching

Beloso: Groundout to first base

Jones: Walk

Jobert: Double down the right field line, Jones advances to third

Thompson: Advances to first base on fielders choice, drives in Jones

Nippolt: Strikeout swinging

Score Update: Kentucky 12, LSU 7

Top Eighth

Blake Money (LSU) pitching

Felker: Groundout to second base

McCarthy: Strikeout swinging

Stanke: Walk

Smith: Fly out to left field

Bottom Eighth

Mason Moore (Kentucky) pitching

Josh Pearson (Pinch Hitting for Milazzo): Walk

*Pitching Change: Ryan Hagenow enters the game for Kentucky*

Morgan: Hit by pitch

Crews: Single (loads bases)

*Pitching Change: Ryder Giles enters the game for Kentucky*

White: Walk, Pearson scores (Kentucky 12, LSU 8)

Beloso: Strikeout swinging

Jones: RBI single to left field scores Crews and Morgan (Kentucky 12, LSU 10)

Jobert: Fielders choice advances the runners to second and third, Jobert out at first

Thompson: Strikeout

Score Update: Kentucky 12, LSU 10

Top Ninth

Blake Money (LSU) pitching

Gray: Single to right field

Waldschmidt: Sacrifice bunt advances Gray to second

Pitre: RBI single scores Gray (Kentucky 13, LSU 10)

Gilliam: Fly out to left field

Burkes: Fly out to left

Bottom Ninth

Ryder Giles (Kentucky) pitching

Travinski: Fly out to left field

Pearson: Walk

Morgan: Grounds into double play to end the inning

FINAL: Kentucky 13, LSU 10