The No. 1 LSU baseball team beat Grambling 17-5 on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium on the back of strong third and fourth innings when the Tigers recorded 13 total runs.
LSU (22-3) scored a run in each of the first two innings. Tre' Morgan drove in the first run with an RBI single, and Gavin Dugas drove in the second-inning run with a sacrifice fly.
Grambling briefly grabbed a lead in the top of the third inning when Cameron Bufford jacked a three-run home run off of LSU reliever Blake Money. LSU responded with five runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by Cade Beloso's three-run home run followed by Jared Jones' solo shot.
LSU put the game away with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
LSU’s depth filled in by the fourth inning, with players such as first baseman Ethan Frey and right fielder Brayden Jobert among the subs to do well.
“I think our guys did a great job tonight on not trying to do too much,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “We couldn’t really ask for more. It was great to get a bunch of these guys in tonight because these guys work hard.”
Johnson also discussed the pride that comes with developing players and how they approach dealing with the amount of talent on the roster.
“There’s a lot more that happens around here than game day, and we take a lot of pride in developing every player in the program,” Johnson said. “Elite players want to play here, but they are going to get coached by us.”
Grambling added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but it did not prevent LSU from winning the game in seven innings via the mercy rule.
Beloso finished 2 for 3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. He raised his season batting average to .538.
Dylan Crews remained hot for the Tigers, going 2 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored. His season average now sits at .542.
Jones, Paxton Kling, Jordan Thompson and Alex Milazzo also had two hits apiece for the Tigers.
LSU starting pitcher Christian Little, who allowed no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out four against Grambling in two innings, said LSU is excited about the upcoming series against Tennessee that begins at 7 p.m. Thursday at Alex Box Stadium
“They have a good staff, and we don’t care,” Little said. “We have a good staff and behind that, we have a good lineup.”