LSU Cruises Past Youngstown State, 6-2

Photo By: Jonathan Mailhes

2/27/2021  
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports


   
   BATON ROUGE, LA: The Tigers returned home on Friday night and would improve to 4-1 with a 6-2 win over Youngstown State. 
   Jaden Hill would get the win for the Tigers has he would pitch six outstanding innings, giving up only one hit with four strike outs. Hill is now 2-0 on the season. 
​  LSU would continue their Gorilla Ball attack at the plate, while making tremendous plays on defense throughout the night. 
   

   The Tigers would strike first, after Jaden Hill took the Penguins down in order. Tre' Morgan would rip a one out single right up the center over the second base bag. Cade Beloso would step to the plate two batters later and blast his first home run of the season over the right field bleachers. We would head to the 2nd inning with LSU up 2-0. 

   LSU would increase their lead in the bottom of the third. After a Milazzo fly out and a Crews strike out, Tre' Morgan would single to right field, then quickly steal safely to second base. Cade Doughty would step to the plate and hit a two run home run to left field, his first homer of the season. After three innings, the Tigers held a 4-0 lead over the Penguins. 

   The Tigers would extend their lead in the 4th. After a Zach Arnold strike out, Gavin Dugas would step up and send the ball screaming deep over the left center field wall for a solo homer to put LSU up 5-0 as we would head to the 5th inning. 

   Cade Doughty nearly added to the LSU lead in the bottom of the 5th inning. With Dylan Crews on 2nd base, Doughty took the ball for a ride to deep right field. Penguin right fielder Turner Grau would make a nice grab up against the wall to steal a hit from the Tigers. 5-0 LSU as we head to the 6th inning. 

   Coach Mainieri would replace Jaden Hill with senior lefty Brandon Kaminer to start the 7th.
Kaminer would surrender a run before the Tigers could get the 3rd out of the inning on a laser throw out to 2nd base from LSU catcher Alex Milazzo.  

   Mainieri would then replace Kaminer after only one inning of work, sending freshmen Blake Money to the mound.  Money would ring up the Penguins three up-three down quickly to take us to the bottom of the 8th inning. 
   After two Tiger outs, Zach Arnold would step up and hit his second home run of the season to left center field to make the score 6-1. Dugas would then step up and line a single to right field. With the hit and run on, Will Safford would single to the left side, moving pinch runner Drew Bianco to third. Stafford would move up to second base on the throw in. However, the Tigers would be unable to plate another score, leaving both runners on base to end the 8th.

   Money would remain in the contest to finish off the Penguins, but Youngstown wouldn't go down without a fight. With one out, Jeff Wehler would send a solo home run over the left field wall to cut LSU's lead to 6-2. The next two hitters for the Penguins would single, then double to chase Money from the ball game. 
   Devin Fontenot would come in to try and stop the Penguins surge, with runners on second and third with only one out. Fontenot would quickly get the 2nd out on his first pitch with a weak blooper to Morgan. Then on his second pitch, Blaze Glenn would pop up to LSU catcher Jake Wyeth to end the game and a 6-2 Victory for LSU....

   LSU has played well over their last two contest as they seem to have found themselves in a nice zone at the plate as they would total 11 hits on the night, while the pitching has been stellar. 

   Can these young Tigers keep up this level of play? It will be fun to watch and see.                                                                                                                                                                                  Next up the Tigers will play Youngstown State at 2:00pm on Saturday, followed by a second game against Nicholls at 6:30pm. 
  

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