LSU shuts out New Orleans 16-0 after late explosion

After LSU struggled at the plate in the first four innings, LSU scored 16 unanswered runs in the final five innings.

LSU shuts out New Orleans 16-0 in another dominating performance at Alex Box Stadium Tuesday night.

LSU improves its record to 16-1, winning its 11th game in a row and recording its sixth shutout of the season. After winning four straight games, the Privateers lost its first game since March 7, dropping to 11-6 on the year.

Although freshman Chase Shores got the start, reliever Garrett Edwards (2-0) was credited with the win. Edwards pitched 3.2 innings and recorded five strikeouts while allowing no hits or walks.

New Orleans starter Colton Mercer (2-1) was credited with the loss. Mercer pitched 4.2 innings and recorded three hits, two earned runs, two walks and five strikeouts. Mercer had pitched a shutout up until he was subbed out in the middle of the fifth inning.

“You couldn’t ask for much more from our pitching staff,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We’ve given up two runs or less in eight of our last 10 games; we’re going to win when we do that. They’re doing a great job, they just need to keep executing.

Heading into the fifth inning, the game was scoreless. LSU had two runners on first and third base after Kling was walked and Crews singled, sending Kling to third.

After New Orleans reliever Trey Usey came into the game, the very first batter he faced was one of the best sluggers in the country in third baseman Tommy White. On his second pitch of the game, White homered to left field for a three-run dinger for his sixth home of the year.

“Tommy was just doing his deal,” Johnson said. “He got a mistake, and he stayed on it, blasted it out of here, and got us going. From there, we were off and rolling and executed a couple of things offensively that put pressure on them, and we broke the game open.”

LSU would have a 7-run explosion in the sixth inning. The biggest highlight of that inning was when second baseman Gavin Dugas hit a two-run bomb for his fifth home run of the season.

The Tigers would score six runs in the eighth to account for the final margin, which was highlighted by a Josh Pearson two-RBI double and a Hayden Travinski two-RBI single.

LSU will start SEC play this weekend when they take on Texas A&M at Blue Bell Stadium in College Station, Texas for a three-game series from March 17-19.