Friday’s Games

LSU 7, Arkansas-Little Rock 0

Dallas Baptist 6, Rhode Island 2

Saturday’s Schedule

2 p.m. (elimination game) — Arkansas-Little Rock vs. Rhode Island.

8 p.m. — LSU vs. Dallas Baptist.

 

By Scooter Hobbs

American Press

 

It wouldn’t be an Alex Box Stadium home postseason without a little rain on the parade at LSU.

Even if it’s very little actual wet stuff.

But it was only a nuisance Friday as LSU got the obligatory weather-delayed game of the NCAA tournament over with early for this year’s tournament.

The Tigers’ opener in the Baton Rouge regional was delayed five and a half hours by the threat of a rain storm that never really came before the Tigers’ bats came to life and righthander Anthony Eyanson dominated Arkansas-Little Rock for a 7-0 shut out in the opening game of the Baton Rouge regional.

Daniel Dickinson hit two home runs — and was just short into the wind on a third — as the top seed Tigers opened the NCAA tournament with a 7-0 victory over No. 4 seed Arkansas-Little Rock.

Anthony Eyanson (10-2), normally the Tigers’ No. 2 starter, got the ball for the regional opener and struck out seven while holding the Trojans scoreless over his 7 2/3 innings of work.

“Long day obviously working through the delays,” LSU coch Jay Johnson said. “But we were ready to go. It was great to be back home after a couple of weeks (on the road) and I thought the crowd was electric.”

LSU will play again Saturday in the regional’s key game against No. 2 seed Dallas Baptist, which beat No. 3 Rhode Island 6-2 in a game that didn’t end until 1:35 a.m.

The winner of that game, called  the “marble game” by legendary coach Skip Bertman, will take control of the regional, needing only one more win to advance to the super regional with two chances to get it.

Arkansas-Little Rock and Rhode Island will play an elimination game at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Baton Rouge regional winner will play the survivor of the Clemson regional in a best-two-of-three super regional with a trip to the College World Series on the line.

LSU would host again for the super regional if it advances.

The Tigers, who didn’t score in their final 15 innings of last week’s SEC tournament, broke that streak with Jake Brown’s RBI single in the first inning and eventually scored in five of their eight at-bats Friday.

They finished with 11 hits, with Dickinson leading the way with a 2-for-5 night.

Derek Curiel and Brown also had two hits, with each driving in a run.

“Derek blitzed that ball, put a great swing on a double,” Johnson said. “That was great to see, and then another. Homer for Dickinson.”

Dickinson, grounded out in his first two at-bats, but Johnson stopped him on the way to his third plate appearance in the fifth.

“My first two at-bats were kind of rough,” Dickinson said. “Kind of chased balls that were borderline strikes.

“He said, get something you can drive,” Dickinson remembered. “You’re chasing the ball a little bit and you’re getting yourself in tough counts.”

Advice well taken.

Dickinson drove in three runs while going 2-for-5 with his pair homers — a solo shot in the fifth and a 2-run bomb in the sixth that put the Tigers up 6-0. He hit another ball to the wall for a loud out in the eighth.

“We had a couple of mistakes on some pitches and they made us pay for it,” UALR coach Chris Curry said.

Eyanson, known for slipping his way out of jams, was rarely threatened while giving up five hits and walking only one.

“Credit to Eyanson,” Curry said. “He had command of four pitches. Fastball early was really working, curveball was good and (he) found the slider late and did a good job of adjusting to our lineup the second and third time through.”

“Anthony on the mound did what he does,” Johnson said. “Kind of customary at this point.”

The Tigers improved to 44-13.

Johnson reminded that you can’t take anything for granted.

On the tournament’s opening day, four of the 16 No. 1 seeds— Oregon State, Oregon, Southern Miss and Ole Miss — lost to No. 4 seeds

“You can’t try to force it,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to let the game come to you a little bit. I thought we did that tonight, and when you have really good pitching and really good defense, if should allow your offense to play with great confidence.

“I thought we played well tonight. It was a good night for the Tigers on offense.”