The LSU Tigers need one win to advance to a Super Regional.
The Tigers defeated Southern Miss 8-4 Saturday night in the Baton Rouge Regional at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Top-seeded LSU (39-24), which improved to 2-0 in the double-elimination event, plays again at 8 p.m. Sunday against the winner of a 2 o’clock elimination game between No. 2 Arizona State (38-18) and No. 3 Southern Miss (39-20). Arizona State eliminated No. 4 Stony Brook 13-5 Saturday afternoon.
Eric Walker (5-4, 5.32 ERA) will start for LSU.
If the Tigers win, they advance. If they lose, the teams will face off again Monday at 3 for the Super Regional berth.
LSU, the designated visiting team, led 4-0 through 6 1/2 innings.
But the Golden Eagles loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the seventh on two hit batters and a walk. Zach Hess relieved Todd Peterson and Matthew Guidry blasted a home run to tie it.
The Tigers answered in the top of the eighth. Daniel Cabrera hit a leadoff double and Cade Beloso was hit by a pitch.
Hunter Stanley replaced Cody Carroll on the mound after Stanley walked Zach Watson to load the bases. Saul Garza then laced a single up the middle, scoring Cabrera and Beloso. Watson was out advancing to third.
Chris Reid followed with a single, scoring Garza and giving the Tigers a 7-4 lead.
Josh Smith scored LSU’s final run in the ninth on a bases-loaded wild pitch.
The only run through the first four innings came on a home run by Beloso.
Beloso’s sacrifice fly in the sixth with runners at first and third with no outs made it 2-0. Watson then smacked a two-run homer.
Garza, Watson, Smith, Beloso and Brandt Broussard all had two hits. Beloso, Watson and Garza had two RBI apiece.
LSU freshman starter Cole Henry allowed just two hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out six.
Hess (4-5) got the win. He gave up two hits and was charged with one run in three innings.
Southern Miss starter Walker Powell allowed seven hits and two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. Carroll (3-3) took the loss.
