LSU second baseman Daniel Dickinson drove in six runs, including a 2-run single in the 10th inning, as the No. 2 Tigers beat Kansas State 8-5 Friday in the opening game of the Frisco College Classic.

Dickinson also had one of the two LSU defensive gems that kept Kansas State from walking it off in the bottom the ninth.

With one out and a runner on first in a 5-5 game, the Wildcats’ Seth Dardar doubled into the left-center gap, but leftfielder Josh Pearson quickly got the ball back into shortstop Steven Milam, who relayed to home where catcher Luis Hernandez nailed Dee Kennedy at the plate.

“We kind of have a saying with the relays,” LSU head cach Jay Johnson said. “One good throw leads to another.”

It still left Dardar on second as the potential winning run, but on the next play Dickinson dove into the hole for a diving stop and ended the inning with a spinning throw to first.

“We don’t get a chance to win the game in extra innings if we don’t play defenseJohnson said. “We have a lot of good athletes on the team, and it’s manifested itself into some really good defense.

“I think the story is just how our guys continued to compete in the game. We showed great character and played with great fundamentals. We got some big hits last, but the story of the game is our defense in the ninth inning.”

LSU (9-1) will play Nebraska (4-4) Saturday at 4 p.m.

LSU took the lead in the top of the 10th of a back-and-forth game on Josh Pearson’s RBI single that scored Steven Milam and sent Jake Brown to third.

After Jared Jones struck out, Dickinson’s single scored the Tigers’ two insurance runs.

Dickinson, who went 2-for-4,  also hit a 3-run homer in the seventh and got a run home in the third on a sacrifice bunt.

Freshman Casem Evans (1-0) pitched the final two innings and picked up the win.

LSU starter Kade Anderson blanked Kansas State for the first five innings. But after getting his 10th strike out to open the sixth, Anderson was chased after giving up back to back solo home runs to Kennedy and Dardar that tied the game 2-2.

LSU got the lead back in the seventh on Dickinson’s 3-run homer for a 5-2 lead, but the Wildcats had a quick answer in the bottom of the inning.

After two singles and walk loaded the bases with no outs, reliever D.J. Primeaux came on and his first two pitches hit KSU batters to force in a pair of runs.

The Tigers finished with 11 hits.

LSU pitching had 15 strike outs but also walked seven and hit three batters.