Live Gameday Updates/Thread: No. 11 LSU vs Louisiana Tech
Pregame
LSU lineup:
MAthis 3B
Milazzo C
Beloso 1B
Cabrera RF
Garza DH
Doughty 2B
DiGiacomo CF
Hampton Jr. LF
Cranford SS
This is a significant lineup as it’s one coach Paul Mainieri said on Tuesday that he hopes to run with for the entirety of this week.
“We'll see if we can win games with this lineup put together,” Mainieri said. “There's gonna be some young guys in there. Some of them may not have a great week but they've got to play defense. Let's run them out there and challenge them and see if they can handle it.”
Hampton will earn his first start in left field while DiGiacomo will continue to man centerfield.
Cade Doughty is also back in the lineup at second after being benched due to fielding errors.
Zack Mathis as leadoff man seems to be a move that will stick for a while. He's been dominant in that spot.
Louisiana Tech three hole hitter Parker Bates is off to a phenomenal job this season. He's hitting .440 with three homeruns and 13 RBI. Will be somebody LSU pitching staff undoubtedly needs to be on watch for.
It's a chilly one here at the Box this evening and the wind is blowing in. The LSU batters will need to avoid hitting the ball to high as homeruns tonight are unlikely. That has been a struggle so far this season for the LSU offense.
Top 1
Brandon Kaminer has taken the mound and midweek baseball is upon us.
LA Tech with an opening swinging bunt and gets a single out of it. Throw would've been hard for Mathis to make but Doughty got to first a little late.
Kaminer strikes out the second batter of the game on a nasty slider. One away with one on for the Tigers.
Alex Milazzo pickoff. Play will be reviewed but that's impressive in this wind/weather.
Call stands. Another great play from the freshman.
Popout ends the inning with no run for LA Tech. LSU up to bat.
Mid 1
Mathis goes first pitch swinging and gets a single out of it. Tigers have their leadoff man aboard.
Milazzo grounds out to first but it was a hit and run, allowing Mathis to advance to second.
RBI single from Cade Beloso gets past the second baseman for the Tigers first run of the game. Tigers with a 1-0 lead and a runner on for Daniel Cabrera.
Cabrera grounds out but Beloso advances to third. Nice opportunity here for another run with a hit from Garza.
Garza walks and runners on first and third with two outs.
Doughty lines out to second. Tigers lead 1-0 after one inning
Top 2
Kaminer gets Garcia and Netterville to popout to Maurice Hampton in left field.
Three up, three down for Kaminer, who's faced six batters and thanks to a Milazzo pickoff, has retired all six.
Mid 2
DiGiacomo draws a leadoff walk. Tigers have their leadoff batter on for the second straight inning.
DiGiacomo then steals second. When he can get on base, he can be an electric runner. A wild pitch advances DiGiacomo to third
RBI single from Maurice Hampton scores DiGiacomo. Because Hampton has wheels, he stretches that single into a double. 2-0 LSU
Hampton has recorded a hit in five consecutive games. LSU starting to distance itself as a Collier Cranford bunt ends with Hampton scoring after a LA Tech error
Tigers lead 3-0 with still no outs in the second. Pitching change for LA Tech.
Mathis strikes out for the inning's second out. Milazzo steals second with Beloso in a 3-2 count.
Beloso knocks in his second RBI of the night with a single that drops in centerfield, scores Milazzo.
4-0 LSU
Cabrera flies out to right to end the inning.
Top 3
Kaminer replaced for Trent Vietmeier. Kaminer goes two innings and allows one hit with one strikeout. Solid outing from him.
Maurice Hampton runs down a short pop fly into centerfield for the inning's first out. Hampton and DiGiacomo in the outfield gives LSU a ton of speed.
Another three up, three down inning for the Bulldogs. Tigers doing a nice job defensively.
Mid 3
Garza grounds out to short. Hasn't been able to get going recently as he's 1-for-15
Cade Doughty strikes out swinging but Giovanni DiGiacomo follows with a two out single.
Giovanni DiGiacomo just went full Benny Rodriguez on a steal. That was super impressive.
Maurice Hampton rewards his effort with an RBI single. RBI No. 2 for Hampton tonight. Tigers lead 5-0
Collier Cranford picks up his first career hit with a single to right field. Tigers working some two out magic here in the third.
Top 4
Vietmeier's night is done after 1.1 innings of work. He retired all four batters he faced. Jacob Hasty in to pitch for the Tigers.
Hasty walks the second batter he faces. Tigers with two away here in the fourth and a runner on first.
Hasty follows up with a strikeout. Tigers pitching staff doing a phenomenal job tonight.
Mid 4
Beloso flies out to center and Cabrera follows up with a single to right field.
Top 5
Louisiana Tech opens with a leadoff single off of new pitcher Aaron George.
Cade Doughty turns a double play to end the fifth. LSU has been very sound on the mound and on the field tonight.
Mid 5
DiGiacomo grounds out to second to start the inning for LSU on offense.
Cranford flies out to centerfield. Tigers with nine hits and have a 6-0 lead here in the fifth.
RBI triple for Zack Mathis and LSU takes a 7-0 lead here in the fifth. Milazzo strikes out to end the inning.
Tigers lead 7-0.
Top 6
Eric Walker into pitch and Saul Garza has replaced Milazzo as the catcher.
Walker has allowed two hits and a run and just hit a batter. Runners on first and second with two outs.
Walker will be replaced by Matthew Beck here in the sixth. He's hit three batters and walked three others in three appearances this season.
Really rooting for Walker because he's one of the nicest guys you'll meet but he's got to get his command back.
Mid 6
Cade Beloso reaches first as Louisiana Tech commits its fifth error of the game. Some sloppy ball from the Bulldogs tonight.
Cabrera strikes out for the inning's first out.
Nothing going in the sixth offensively for LSU as Beloso is stranded at first.
Top 7
LSU gets Bulldogs to go three up three down with Matthew Beck in the game.
Mid 7
Back-to-back walks from the Bulldogs force another pitching change. Tigers with runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh.
Double play has left just one LSU runner on base and Mathis grounds out to end the inning. Tigers lead 7-1 after seven.
Top 8
Nick Storz into pitch for LSU and he forces a popout to centerfield and strikes out the second batter he faces. Nice start for him.