The Recap: LSU Baseball Solidifies NCAA Tournament Case After SEC Tourney Win Over Kentucky

LSU defeats Kentucky 11-0 in run-rule fashion, dominant offensive display propels the Tigers to another key win.

Michael Braswell III 10 at the plate as the LSU Tigers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge LA. Thursday, April 4, 2024. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

LSU defeats Kentucky 11-0 in run-rule fashion, dominant offensive display propels the Tigers to another key win.

HOOVER, Ala. – LSU right-hander Luke Holman fired six hitless innings Wednesday, and the Tigers blasted two grand slams in an 11-0 win over Kentucky in the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

The game ended after the bottom of the eighth inning due to the SEC 10-run rule.

LSU, which improved to 38-20 on the year, has won five in a row and 16 of its last 21 games. The Tigers are 12-5 in their last 17 games against SEC teams.

Kentucky, the 2024 SEC regular-season co-champion, dropped to 39-13 this season.

LSU will play at 4:30 p.m. CT Thursday against the winner of Wednesday’s game between Arkansas and South Carolina. LSU’s game on Thursday will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network, and it will be televised by the SEC Network.

Holman (9-3) blanked the Wildcats through his six-inning outing, allowing no hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches in the outing, 63 for strikes.

“Our guys were ready to play,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “Winning starts and ends on the mound. Again, I believe we have one of the best pitchers in the country in Luke, and he continues to prove that over and over again.

“His poise, presence, mound demeanor, focus level, maturity is as good as anybody else I've coached. Obviously, he's the real deal. He's going to pitch for a long time."

The one-two punch of Gage Jump and Luke Holman has elevated the #LSU program over the last few weeks.

Now, the tandem is dominating in Hoover.

Holman vs. Kentucky:
6.0 IP
7 Ks
0 hits
0 ER
100 pitches

Jump vs. Georgia:
7.0 IP
7 Ks
1 ER
105 pitches
75 strikes

Huge performances. pic.twitter.com/pHUMO0yB8p

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) May 22, 2024

Kentucky starting pitcher Travis Smith (3-4) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered two runs on two hits in 1.0 inning with two walks and one strikeout.

First baseman Jared Jones and third baseman Tommy White each launched a grand slam to highlight the Tigers’ offensive output.

LSU became the first team in league history to hit two grand slams in a single SEC Tournament game.

Shortstop Michael Braswell III led off the game with a homer, and he produced two RBI while scoring three runs. Braswell’s homer to start the game was his second dinger of the season and his first since February 22 versus Northern Illinois.

The Tigers extended the lead to 2-0 in the second when rightfielder Ashton Larson doubled, moved to second on catcher Alex Milazzo’s groundout and scored on an RBI groundout by Braswell.

LSU maintained its 2-0 advantage with Holman on the mound through the sixth inning, and the Tigers erupted for five runs in the seventh. Jones unloaded a grand slam, his 23rd homer of the season, and designated hitter Hayden Travinski belted a solo shot – his 15th homer of the year – to increase the lead to 7-0.

Jones’ homer marked the first grand slam by an LSU player in an SEC Tournament game since Blake Dean accomplished the feat versus Alabama in the 2008 tournament.

“Great at-bat by Jared,” Johnson said. “I thought he really did a good job of slowing the game down. I thought he saw the ball well throughout the day. He hit a couple balls hard before that, really good at-bats, and was in control of himself, and stayed with that at-bat with two strikes.”

White’s grand slam in the eighth inning – his 24th homer of the year – gave LSU an 11-0 cushion. The grand slam was White’s second in five days, as he also launched one in Saturday’s win over Ole Miss. White now has four grand slams in his two-season LSU career.

Other LSU News:

How It Happened: Gage Jump Catapults LSU Over Georgia in SEC Tourney Win

The Buzz: LSU Visits No. 1 Quarterback in America, Tigers Turning Up The Heat

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