LSU struggles continue; Gonzaga blanks the Tigers 3-0
LSU Baseball
EUGENE, Ore. (WAFB) - The LSU Tigers were hoping to get a bit of a spark heading into the NCAA Regionals when head coach Paul Mainieri announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season a week ago, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs kept the Tiger bats quiet and off the scoreboard.
The Tigers had not lost a Regional opener since 1985 when LSU lost Houston 11-4.
Gonzaga starting pitcher Alek Jacob was brilliant in the 3-0 complete game shut out, limiting the Tigers to just four hits in the victory, he struck out nine batters, and walked one. It would be the ninth shut out of the season for the Bulldogs, second most in Division I.
LSU’s biggest threat of the game came in the top of the fourth inning trailing 2-0 when Dylan Crews hit a led off triple. It appeared that Crews would score on a wild pitch, however Will Safford was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Giovanni DiGiacomo would fly out on the warning track to end the inning.
Gonzaga got things started in the bottom of the second inning on a lead off triple from Grayson Sterling and would later score on a Guthrie Morrison RBI single to give them a 1-0 lead. Ernie Yake would add another run in the inning with a RBI double to score Morrison to take a 3-0 advantage after two.
The Bulldogs added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Brett Harris hit a RBI single to make it 3-0 scoring Jack Machtolf.
LSU will look to avoid elimination as they take on Central Connecticut State at 3 p.m.
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