LSU grabs 5-1 win over Ole Miss in Game 1
BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU left-hander Gage Jump worked 6.0 innings Thursday to lead the Tigers to a 5-1 win over Ole Miss in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
The win clinched a berth for LSU in next week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
Thursday’s game, which started at 4:02 p.m. CT, was halted in the bottom of the sixth inning due to rain and lightning, and the contest was resumed after a one-hour, 39-minute delay.
LSU improved to 34-20 overall, 11-17 in the SEC, while Ole Miss dropped to 27-26 overall and 11-17 in conference play.
Game 2 of the series, originally scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT Friday, has been moved up to a 12 p.m. CT start due to the forecast of inclement weather on Friday evening.
Friday’s game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network, and it will be streamed on SEC Network +.
Jump (5-1) limited the Rebels to one run on five hits in 6.0 innings with two walks and eight strikeouts.
“I would take Gage as much as I would take any pitcher in our league,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “I really believed he would get to this point, and he’s been outstanding now for six straight weeks. We’ve needed Gage to pitch this way in order to have a chance to get where we want to go.”
Reliever Griffin Herring picked up his fifth save of the season after retiring the final two Ole Miss hitters with two runners on base.
Ole Miss starter Riley Maddox (3-7) was charged with the loss, as he allowed five runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings with one walk and four strikeouts.
LSU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning when second baseman Steven Milam lined an RBI single.
The Tigers extended the advantage to 2-0 in the third, as third baseman Tommy White tripled and scored on a single by first baseman Jared Jones.
LSU struck for three runs in the fourth, as shortstop Michael Braswell III smashed a two-run single, and White delivered an RBI single.
The Rebels’ run came in the fifth inning when third baseman Judd Utermark lifted a solo homer, his fifth dinger of the year.
“I thought our two-out hitting was great today,” Johnson said. “There was really good functional hitting by our team.”
Editor’s Note: LSU press release.
