Paul Skenes Catapults No. 1 LSU Over Samford in 11-1 Victory
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LSU right-hander Paul Skenes threw another pitching gem with 12 punchouts, and first baseman Jared Jones launched two dingers Friday to propel the Tigers to an 11-1 run-rule victory against Samford inside Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU moves to 13-1 on the season and the Bulldogs fall to 6-7 on the year.
The Tigers return to action Saturday for the second game of the three-game set with Samford. The contest is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch and can be viewed on SEC Network+. The matchup can also be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates.
Skenes (4-0) threw his fourth consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts and finished with six innings pitched with one run and two hits allowed
Jones posted a 3-for-4 line and picked up four RBI with two home runs and a single.
Bulldog starter Jacob Cravey (1-2) was charged with the loss after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing five runs on four hits.
LSU opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with the help of a throwing error from Samford’s second baseman Garrett Staton. Following two free passes, designated hitter Tommy White hit one in the six-hole and the Bulldogs got one out but could not convert on the other end. The Tigers led 1-0 after one inning.
After a scoreless second inning from both squads, Samford responded with a run in the third.
LSU manufactured a run in the bottom half of the third with a sequence that started with a single from centerfielder Dylan Crews and a walk from White. With two runners on second and third after a wild pitch, shortstop Jordan Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to center, which scored Crews.
The Tigers added another sacrifice fly in the fourth with right fielder Paxton Kling scoring from third on a fly ball to center from second baseman Jack Merrifield.
Jones crushed a ball to right field for his third dinger of the year, extending LSU’s lead to 5-1.
LSU continued to tack onto its lead in the sixth, increasing it to 8-1. Kling led the inning off with a single to left field and promptly stole second. Left fielder Tre’ Morgan smoked an RBI single up the middle to score Kling. With Morgan on first, Crews singled and White smoked a double in the right-center field gap scoring Morgan and Crews.
After catcher Brady Neal drew a walk, White tagged from second and reached third on a fly ball to center. Centerfielder Josh Rodriguez’s throw went past the third baseman and into the dugout, allowing White to scratch across LSU’s ninth run.
Jones punctuated the inning with a towering home run to left field that went 459 feet. His final two RBI accounted for the final margin in the Tigers’ run-rule win.