Friday’s Game: LSU 4, Alabama 3

Saturday’s Game: 5 p.m. / SEC Network

 Legendary LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman used to preach “timely hitting.”

Failing that, there’s something to be said for timely pitching, too.

Witness LSU’s 4-3 victory over Alabama Friday night.

The Tigers had 12 hits against the Tide, but also stranded a dozen runners in a tight game while going 4-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

No problem.

“The story tonight is from the pitchers’ mound,” head coach Jay Johnson said.

LSU starter Anthony Eyanson and relief ace Zac Cowan combined to strike out 16 Bama hitters, often when the Tigers needed it most, as the Tide stranded 10 runners of its own.

The Tigers won their 20th consecutive home game to clinch the SEC series and improve to 34-6, 13-5 in the SEC. Alabama fell to 30-10, 8-9.

LSU will go for its fourth sweep in six SEC series in the Saturday finale at 5 p.m., televised on the SEC Network.

Eyanson got 12 of the strike outs in his six innings while Cowan pitched the final three for his sixth save, his second in as many nights.

“You’ve got Anthony and Zac and a great crowd behind you, an elite defense … and you’re punching dudes out,” Johnson said in summing it up.

Eyanson (6-1) held the Tide to four hits despite struggling with his control at times with five walks.

“The best performance he’s had this year in my opinion,” Johnson said. “He was awesome tonight.”

It didn’t look like it early, but some Ks are bigger — more timely — than others.

Eyanson was in quite a jam early and Alabama had a chance to break the game open in the first inning. The Tide scored on an RBI ground out and still had the bases loaded with two outs.

But Eyanson fanned Garrett Statton on a 3-2 curve ball to end the threat.

“We let an elite arm off the hook early,” Alabama coach Rob Vaughn said. ” Then he settled in and was tough.”

It was rinse and repeat in the fourth inning after the Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third.

The Tide again loaded the bases, this time with shortstop Justin LeBron up before another Eyanson 3-2 curve ball ended the inning with a swing and miss. It was the first of three strike outs for LeBron, a sophomore who’s projected by many as the No. 1 pick in next year’s Major League draft.

“Sometimes the pitcher has to dig down or find themselves and know that pitch is there, then go execute,” Johnson said. “Anthony does that better than anybody I’ve seen.”

Johnson quickly amended that statement — “Probably tied with Zac Cowan.”

The Tigers had their own troubles capitalizing on their 12 hits.

But nine-hole hitter Chris Stanfield, who went 4-for-4, opened the third with a single and later scored on Daniel Dickinson’s single. Dickinson, who was 3-for-4, then followed him home on Jared Jones’ double.

The Tigers got two more in the fourth when Derek Curiel’s 2-run single scored Stanfield and Michael Braswell.