Tigers even the series against Florida with big win in Game 2

LSU beat the Gators 16-4 to set up a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.

Hello, offense. It’s been a while.

After losing on Friday night 7-2, LSU came out swinging it on Saturday. That paid off big time for the Tigers as they made a statement with a 16-4 win to even the series heading into Sunday’s rubber match.

[autotag]Mike Hilliard[/autotag] got the start on the mound, and he finally ended the Tigers’ recent pitching woes as he earned his second win of the season.

LSU got things going offensively from the very beginning. In the top of the first inning, [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to give the Tigers an early lead.

In the top of the third inning, [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly to score [autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag] reached on an error that scored Morgan to make it 4-0 LSU.

Still, in the third inning, LSU made a call to the bullpen, but not for a pitcher. [autotag]Brayden Jobert[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag] hit back-to-back homers to extend the lead to 8-0 after only three innings.

In the top of the fifth inning, LSU scored on a Florida error to extend the lead to 9-0.

Did I say “Happy Mike Day” yet?

Saturday was a very happy Mike day as Hilliard kept the Tigers off the board for five full innings before Florida finally scored. The Gators scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to finally chase him from the mound, but at that point, it was 9-4 LSU after six innings.

Hilliard’s final line was 5 2/3 innings pitched, five hits, four runs, zero walks and seven strikeouts. [autotag]Paul Gervase[/autotag] came in to relieve him and finished the sixth inning, working into the seventh and eighth, as well.

He pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up zero hits and zero runs with one walk and two strikeouts. LSU wasn’t done scoring yet, though, as in the top of the ninth inning, Jobert hit an RBI single to make it 10-4.

Not to be outdone, Dugas followed that up with an RBI double of his own to extend the lead to 11-4.

Jobert scored on a wild pitch, [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly, another run scored on a wild pitch, and then a Crews missile was launched in Gainesville to make it 16-4 LSU as we headed to the bottom of the ninth inning.

Trent Vietmeier came in to finish the game in the bottom of the ninth as he went three-up and three-down to secure the 16-4 LSU win. The Tigers were led by Thompson at the plate as he finished 3 of 6 on the night.

LSU will play the rubber match against the Gators on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.

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