LSU nine-game win streak to Houston after defeating Grambling

BATON ROUGE – No. 2-ranked LSU (12-1) extended its winning streak to nine games by defeating Grambling, 7-1, Wednesday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

LSU freshman right-hander Doug Norman (1-1) earned the first win of his career on Wednesday. Norman went four innings and only allowed one run on five hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Coleman McKinney (1-1) of Grambling was charged with the loss, the first of the season. McKinney pitched two innings, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks.

Grambling fell to 2-9 on the year with Wednesday’s loss.

“Doug Norman gave us a good outing, and our bullpen was magnificent over the final five innings,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “They held Grambling without a hit, and the only base-runner was hit by a pitch. Offensively, we weren’t spectacular, but we have a good idea now of the strengths of each of our players and how they best fit into our lineup.”

LSU relievers Austin Bain, Collin Strall, Russell Reynolds, Alden Cartwright and Jesse Stallings combined to limit Grambling to no hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in five shutout innings.

Grambling took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Edwin Drexler led off the inning with an infield single, moved to second on a ground-out and eventually scored on an RBI single by Larry Barraza.

LSU responded in the bottom of the second inning with two runs to take the lead. Catcher Kade Scivicque knocked a double to right-center field to score Andrew Stevenson from second base. Left fielder Jake Fraley then hit a two-out double to right field to score Scivicque.

The Tigers added two more in the bottom of the sixth inning. Second baseman Conner Hale legged out the second triple of his career to score Alex Bregman. Stevenson then grounded out to first base to score Hale from third.

LSU extended its lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Pinch hitter Grayson Byrd collected the first RBI of his career on a single to right field. Bregman followed with a double to left field to score Fraley.

Jared Foster hit his second home run of the year over the left field wall to make it 7-1 for the Tigers in the eighth inning.

LSU returns to action for the final non-conference weekend of the season at the Houston College Classic March 6-8 at Minute Maid Park. The Tigers begin Friday at 7 p.m. against Houston. All three games over the weekend will be televised live on Cox Sports Television and on Root Sports Television.

Fans can listen to the games through LSU radio affiliates in the state or in the Geaux Zone at LSUSports.net/Live.

“We’re looking forward to traveling to Houston this weekend, and our guys are very excited about playing in a Major League ball park,” Mainieri said. “It should be a great environment with intense completion against some outstanding programs.”