By Bill Franques, LSU Senior Associate Communications Director
LSU blasted three home runs Saturday, including two grand slams, as the Tigers posted a 16-9 win over West Virginia in Game 1 of the NCAA Super Regional in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU improved to 47-15 on the season, while West Virginia dropped to 44-15.
The teams will meet in Game 2 of the series at 5 p.m. CT Sunday in a contest that will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and televised on ESPN2.
If LSU wins Sunday’s game, the Tigers will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., for the 20th time in school history. If West Virginia wins Sunday’s game, the teams will play again on Monday at a time to be announced in order to determine which squad earns the CWS berth.
LSU leftfielder Derek Curiel was 3-for-3 at the plate on Saturday with a three-run homer and five RBI. Shortstop Steven Milam and rightfielder Josh Pearson each launched grand slams to power the Tigers’ offense.
“A great win for our team today against a really good team, really good pitcher,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “Tough conditions; it was very hot today. But our guys came ready to play, and it was a good performance.
“Great performance by Derek. Great performance by Josh. Really good job by our entire lineup throughout the game today. And now we get ready for tomorrow.”
LSU hit two grand slams in a game for the first time since May 22, 2024, when Jared Jones and Tommy White each smashed grand slams versus Kentucky in the SEC Tournament.
Left-hander Kade Anderson (10-1) earned the win Saturday on the mound for LSU, working 7.0 innings and allowing seven runs – six earned – on nine hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Anderson fired 113 pitches on a sweltering afternoon with the index soaring above 100 degrees.
“Proud of Kade for gutting through that; that was not easy,” Johnson said. “I think everybody that was watching the game can attest that watching the game wasn’t easy. So giving everything he had on every pitch was awesome.”
WVU starter Griffin Kirn (5-3) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered four runs on two hits in 4.0 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
The Mountaineers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when rightfielder Jace Rinehart provided an run-scoring groundout, but Curiel’s three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth – his seventh dinger of the year – erased the deficit.
The Tigers struck for seven runs in the fifth inning in an outburst highlighted by Milam’s grand slam, the first of the sophomore’s LSU career. The blast was Milam’s 11 homer of the season and increased the Tigers’ lead to 7-1.
LSU’s seven-run fifth tied for the second-most runs the Tigers have scored in an inning in a Super Regional game. LSU also scored seven runs in a single Super Regional inning versus UC Irvine in 2008, and the Tigers plated 11 runs in an inning in the 2003 Super Regional versus Baylor.
LSU added three more runs in the fifth on Curiel’s RBI single, and a two-run single by centerfielder Chris Stanfield.
West Virginia responded with four runs in the top of the sixth in rally highlighted by centerfielder Skylar King’s two-run single.
However, the Tigers pushed their advantage to 16-5 with six runs in the bottom of the sixth, as Curiel and pinch hitter Ashton Larson each drew bases-loaded walks, and Pearson unloaded a grand slam, his seventh dinger of the season.