Live Updates/Thread: No. 1 LSU vs. Alabama

Tigers hosting the Crimson Tide for a weekend series in Alex Box Stadium.

No. 1 LSU is back in action in Alex Box Stadium with the Tigers hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide for a weekend series.

Paul Skenes hits the mound for Jay Johnson's group as he looks to continue his dominant season in Baton Rouge against a fiery Crimson Tide squad. 

A few notes on the matchup, what Jay Johnson said and a live game log for Friday night's showdown:

Notes:

Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU, 200-177-3, and the first meeting between the squads occurred in 1906. LSU has won 13 of the 15 SEC regular-season series versus the Tide since 2007, including a 2-1 series victory last season in Tuscaloosa. Alabama’s series victories since 2007 came in 2011 at Tuscaloosa and in 2016 in Baton Rouge. LSU has a 36-13 mark in games played vs. Alabama since 2007 (31-13 in regular-season games, 5-0 in the SEC Tournament).

LSU is in first place in the SEC Western Division with a 12-5 mark and the Tigers have a 1.5 game lead over second-place Arkansas (11-7) … LSU is third in the overall SEC race, one game behind first place South Carolina (13-4) and 0.5 game behind second-place Vanderbilt (13-5) … last weekend LSU posted an SEC series sweep at Ole Miss, the reigning College World Series champion … LSU’s 32-8 record is its best through 40 games since 2015, when the Tigers were 34-6 … LSU’s 12-5 SEC record this season is the Tigers’ best conference mark through 17 games since the 2015 club was also 12-5 in the league.

LSU centerfielder Dylan Crews is No. 1 in the nation in batting average (.485), on-base percentage (.636) and runs scored (66); Crews is No. 2 in walks (45) and No. 7 in slugging percentage (.841) … third baseman Tommy White is No. 1 in the nation in RBI per game (1.83), and he is No. 3 in total RBI (66) … right-hander Paul Skenes leads the nation in strikeouts (115), strikeouts per nine innings (17.44) and WHIP (0.74) … Skenes is No. 3 in hits allowed per nine innings (4.85), No. 4 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.58) and No. 13 in ERA (1.97).

What Jay Johnson Said:

“Alabama is a veteran team; it’s almost the identical team we played last year in Tuscaloosa. They’re an older team that’s won five SEC games in a row, and they’re playing really well. They’re not going to be overwhelmed by the situation or the environment. We’re going to have to pitch, defend, run the bases and play good offense in order to have a chance to win. We need our fans out here; it should be a great weekend, and we only have two SEC home weekends left, so we definitely want to see our fans out here.”

Pregame:

LSU's Starting Lineup:

2B Gavin Dugas 

LF Tre Morgan 

CF Dylan Crews

3B Tommy White

DH Cade Beloso 

SS Jordan Thompson

1B Jared Jones 

RF Brayden Jobert 

C Alex Milazzo 

P Paul Skenes 

Alabama's Starting Lineup:

Live Game Log:

Top First

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Jarvis: Strikeout 

Seidl: Strikeout

Pinckney: Single up the middle

Williamson: Strikeout

Bottom First 

Hagan Banks (Alabama) pitching 

Dugas: Strikeout

Morgan: Groundout to shortstop 

Crews: Strikeout

Score Update: LSU 0, Alabama 0 

Top Second 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Tamez: Strikeout 

Shelton: Fouled out to third base

Rose: Strikeout

Bottom Second 

Hagan Banks (Alabama) pitching 

White: Solo home-run to right center (LSU 1, Alabama 0)

Beloso: Fly out to right field 

Thompson: Strikeout

Jones: Fouled out to first base

Score Update: LSU 1, Alabama 0

Top Third 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

West: Strikeout 

Johnson: Single to right field 

Jarvis: Fouled out to third base

Seidl: Fly out to short stop

Bottom Third 

Hagan Banks (Alabama) pitching

Jobert: Groundout to first base

Milazzo: Single to right center

Dugas: Fly out to right field 

Morgan: Walk

Crews: Three-run homer to right field (LSU 4, Alabama 0)

White: Groundout to third base

Score Update: LSU 4, Alabama 0

Top Fourth 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Pinckney: Home-run to right field 

Williamson: Fly out to left field

Tamez: Fly out to right field 

Shelton: Double to right field 

Rose: Strikeout

Bottom Fourth

Kade Woods (Alabama) pitching 

Beloso: Fouled out to right field 

Thompson: Single to centerfield 

Jones: Strikeout

Jobert: Groundout to first base

Score Update: LSU 4, Alabama 1

Top Fifth

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

West: Fly out to left field 

Johnson: Fly out to centerfield 

Jarvis: Strikeout 

Bottom Fifth

Kade Woods (Alabama) pitching 

Milazzo: Walk

Dugas: Fly out to right field 

Morgan: Single to left field 

Crews: Fly out to right field 

White: Groundout to shortstop 

Score Update: LSU 4, Alabama 1

Top Sixth

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Seidl: Fouled out to right field 

Pinckney: Single to shortstop

Williamson: Strikeout

Tamez: Reaches first on fielding error, Williamson to second

Shelton: Flyout to centerfield 

Bottom Sixth

Kade Woods (Alabama) pitching 

Beloso: Walk

Thompson: Double to left center 

Jones: Strikeout

Jobert: Fly out to left field 

Milazzo: Walk (loads the bases)

*Pitching Change: Aidan Moza enters the game for Alabama*

Dugas: Hit by pitch, runner scores

Morgan: Walk, runner scores

Crews: Walk, runner scores (LSU 7, Alabama 1)

White: Fly out to left field 

Score Update: LSU 7, Alabama 1

Top Seventh 

Griffin Herring (LSU) pitching 

Rose: Strikeout

Portera (pinch hitting for West): Strikeout 

Johnson: Single to centerfield 

Jarvis: Groundout to second base

Bottom Seventh 

Connor Ball (Alabama) pitching 

Beloso: Fly out to left center

Thompson: Hit by pitch

Jones: Walk

Frey (pinch hitting for Jobert): Walk (loads the bases)

Milazzo: Sacrifice bunt scores Thompson. Jones and Frey advance to second and third

Nippolt: Groundout 

Score Update: LSU 8, Alabama 1

Top Eighth 

Griffin Herring (LSU) pitching 

Seidl: Fly out to left field 

Pinckney: Double to left field 

Williamson: Groundout to shortstop, Pinckney advances to third

Tamez: Single to left field, Pinckney scores (LSU 8, Alabama 2)

Shelton: Strikeout

Bottom Eighth 

Connor Ball (Alabama) pitching

Morgan: Single 

Crews: Single, Morgan advances to second 

White: Strikeout

Beloso: Fly out to left field 

Thompson: Strikeout 

Score Update: LSU 8, Alabama 2

Top Ninth 

Griffin Herring (LSU) pitching 

Hodo (Pinch hitting for Rose): Strikeout 

Portera: Walk

Johnson: Walk

Jarvis: Strikeout

Seidl: Double down the right field line, Portera scores 

Pinckney: Single to centerfield, Johnson and Seidl score (LSU 8, Alabama 5)

Williamson: Single to right field, Pinckney advances to third

*Pitching Change: Bryce Collins enters the game for LSU*

Tamez: Single to centerfield, Pinckney scores (LSU 8, Alabama 5)

Shelton: Strikeout

FINAL: LSU 8, Alabama 6