Tuesday’s Game: Northwestern 13, LSU 3

History was made in Alex Box Stadium Tuesday.

And LSU will be a long time living it down.

The Tigers were run-ruled 13-3 by Northwestern State in an embarrassment that was stopped after seven innings — the first time in program history the mercy rule has ever come into play against LSU in a non-conference game.

The Tigers’ first midweek loss of the season was also the first time LSU has ever been run-ruled in its home ballpark.

“Yeah,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “Not a good performance — coaching, hitting, offense, defense, pitching, all across the board.

“Disappointed in tonight, and we’ll get back to work tomorrow to make sure a game like that doesn’t happen again.”

The game started 30 minutes late due to lightning in the area and was delayed another hour and a half by more lightning with LSU leading 2-0 with one out in the top of the third.

But when play resumed Northwestern showed little “mercy” in pouring it on.

The Demons scored six runs in that delayed third inning and never looked back. Northwestern added a run the next inning, then three more in the sixth and still another three in the seventh to add the 10-run rule to the insult when the Tigers went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

The Demons out-hit LSU 9-7, but mostly took advantage of four walks, four hit batters, three errors and two other misplayed balls that Johnson said should have been ruled errors.

“We gave them far too much that they were able to take advantage of,” Johnson said. “We allowed their better hitters to swing the bat in key situations, because we didn’t take care of the guys that you should be able to get out, allowing free passes via walk, hit by pitch or errors.

“Tough night.”

LSU’s runs came on three solo homers, by Derek Curiel (on the first pitch of the bottom of the first), Jake Brown and Josh Pearson.

Otherwise, the Tigers were 1-for-12 with runners on base, 0-5 with runners in scoring position.

LSU used seven pitchers on the night, six from the bullpen after the rain delay kept starter Jaden Noot from returning after opening with two scoreless innings.

Lightning struck shortly after the lightning delay.

Reliever Cooper Williams hit a batter to load the bases and, after Rocco Gump tied the game with a 2-run single, Braden Benton deposited a 3-run homer deep into the leftfield bleachers off of Connor Benge.

The final run of the inning scored on the first of two errors by Jared Jones, who was playing third base instead of first base in what Johnson admitted afterwards was a failed experiment to get more firepower into the lineup.

“The pitching was not great, but it was not helped by the defense,” Johnson said. “That’s a collective effort.

“I mean, it just wasn’t very good baseball.”