No midweek hangover this time around.
Wednesday’s contest against Louisiana-Monroe didn’t present any problems for the No. 1 LSU baseball team. Behind an armada of runs, LSU (12-0) maintained its spotless record in a 18-7 snoozefest against the Warhawks (5-5) in front of a sparse crowd of 2,666.
Sophomore outfielder Trey Watkins, junior catcher Micah Gibbs and senior first baseman Blake Dean all lofted home runs, while junior outfielder Leon Landry went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Landry is now perfect in his last seven at bats.
Junior right-hander Ben Alsup (1-0) earned the win.
Watkins’ homer marked his first of the season, while Gibbs hit his third and Dean blasted his second.
“I saw the flags get a little happy,” Gibbs said. “I saw the ball well. Everybody was swinging it well today. It’s kind of like a virus when everyone hits this way. You just end up on the bandwagon.”
LSU put the game away in its portion of the fourth inning. Twelve batters saw the plate in the inning as the Tigers hung seven runs and pounded three Warhawk pitchers into submission.
LSU freshman third baseman Wet Delatte led off the inning with a walk and didn’t have to wait long. Watkins belted a pitch over the left field fence to increase LSU’s lead to 7-1.
Things were just getting started.
Sophomore shortstop Austin Nola then laced a double to left-center field to keep the inning going. Dean walked to put runners on first and second.
Gibbs took advantage. The Pflugerville, Texas, native roped a Warhawk offering over the left field fence for a three-run shot to send the game out of reach at 10-1.
A Mikie Mahtook double three batters later plated Landry and sophomore second baseman Tyler Hanover to push the game further out of reach at 12-1.
“The game got a little bit out of hand after we had that big inning,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We took advantage of it when they threw strikes. Leon had a big day, Watkins had some nice at-bats early and it was good to see Blake have a good day.”
The Tigers did allow the Warhawks back into the game. A five-run output in the top of the fifth for ULM saw the Warhawks pull within six to make the contest interesting. LSU starting freshman pitcher Michael Reed didn’t make it out of the inning after walking home a run after loading the bases.
His replacement, sophomore right-hander Shane Riedie, didn’t fare much better. Riedie only faced two batters and allowed a run. Mainieiri decided to pull Riedie in favor of fellow right-hander Ben Alsup. Alsup only needed one pitch to escape the inning.
No worries. LSU quenched any comeback hopes in the next frame as the Tigers notched three runs to push the lead to 15-6. The teams then traded runs in the final innings to push the score to its final tally.
Reed’s performance might have been the only less-than-stellar aspect of the evening. Reed lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing six hits, five earned runs and walking five.
“I thought Michael Reed did some really good things tonight,” Mainieri said. “I thought the first few innings he did a really good job. Then in the fourth inning there he was getting tired and just kind of lost it. I hate to take a kid with 4 2/3 innings, but I was getting worried about his pitch count. I didn’t want to risk him getting hurt.”
Next for the Tigers is a trip to Shreveport to play Northwestern State on Wednesday.
Mainieri said after the game that sophomore left-hander Chris Matulis will take the hill against the Demons.
“It’s an important game,” Dean said. “Every game is an important game. We don’t want to make that our first loss.”
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Contact Chris Branch at cbranch@lsureveille.com
Baseball: LSU defeats University of Louisiana-Monroe, 18-7
Published: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 00:03
 "Photo: BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille")
BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille
LSU freshman infielder Wet Delatte throws the ball to first base Tuesday during the Tigers’ 18-7 victory over ULM.
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