LSU's Tommy White is starting to make things right for the Tigers. After an atrocious regular season, the Baton Rogue program came into the SEC tournament with much yet to be proved. To make matters worse, in just its second game it had to face off against the champions of the SEC regular season, the Kentucky Wildcats.
Not a problem for the Tigers, who dominated the Wildcats 11-0.
The key moment of the game came late at the top of the eighth inning. With the Tigers eight runs on top and the bases loaded, Tommy White hit a grand slam that put to rest any question of who would win the game.
LSU's victory by the numbers: Jared Jones and Tommy White lead the way
The victory of the LSU Tigers was propelled by a pair of grand slams by first baseman Jared Jones and third baseman Tommy White. The game ended after a second grand slam in the eighth inning, given the NCAA's implementation of the run rule.
The Tigers will now await the winner of the game between second-seeded Arkansas and tenth-seeded South Carolina. With the victory over Kentucky, the Tigers' SEC record improved to 15-17. LSU is under obligation to have a good performance during the SEC tourney after an uncharacteristically bad regular season. The Tigers are the most successful program in SEC baseball history.
What will happen to Kentucky after the defeat?
Kentucky's offense was held to no hits during six innings by LSU's starting pitcher Luke Holman, which paired with the Tigers' stunning offensive performance. This means the Wildcats dropped into the losers bracket of the SEC tournament. Kentucky will now await the loser between Arkansas and South Carolina.
The pitching staff for the Wildcats is under heavy stress. Head coach Nick Mingione will have to decide if he wishes to get a top seed through the SEC tournament or rest his arms for an NCAA regional.
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