The No. 1 team in the land welcomed the team with the No. 1 RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) in the country for a weekend showdown, and LSU walked away with a 16-6 run-rule win.
The Tigers entered the game after splitting a two-game series on the road against South Carolina and then beating Tulane. Kentucky entered after dropping a series to Georgia.
In the bottom of the first, it was bombs away in Baton Rouge. After [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag] was hit by a pitch and [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] was intentionally walked, [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] cleared the bases with a two-RBI double to left field. The bases were then loaded after a [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] walk and a [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] single.
In stepped [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag]. Thompson proceeded to hit a monster grand slam to left field to give LSU a 6-0 lead after one inning.
DC gets the intentional walk and Tommy perfectly executes the 2-RBI double. 2-0 Tigers.@__dc4__ x @tommywhite44 | SECN pic.twitter.com/PeqZbBNfE9
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 13, 2023
THE SAN DIEGO SLAMMER IS SLAMMING@J_thompson_13 | SECN pic.twitter.com/Vn0Yb2RYI8
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 13, 2023
In the top of the second, Kentucky scored a run after an error helped the Wildcats get runners on the corners with only one out. LSU got that back and more in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded, Jones was walked to bring in a run. [autotag]Brayden Jobert[/autotag] followed that with a grand slam to right field that exited the stadium. After two innings, LSU led 11-1.
Brayden Jobert, serving up grand slams tonight 🥞@braydenjobert | SECN pic.twitter.com/rtLzda4etb
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 13, 2023
The home run derby continued in the bottom of the third inning when Beloso hit a three-run homer to right field to give LSU a 14-1 lead after only three innings.
CB just following the script 📝@cade_beloso | SECN pic.twitter.com/tSo5o9I08S
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 14, 2023
Kentucky would not go quietly into the night however as they scored two runs on Skenes in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 14-3. The Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth inning to make the score 14-5 and keep the run rule at bay.
In the top of the seventh inning, Kentucky scored another run on an RBI single. Dugas was injured trying to dive for the ball at second base and had to leave the game. In the bottom of the seventh, [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] scored on a passed ball to give LSU a 15-6 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Milazzo hit an RBI single to left field to secure the 16-6 run-rule victory.
With the win, LSU moves to 28-5 overall and 8-4 in conference play. The Tigers will go for the series win Friday night at 6:30 p.m.