Runs have been hard to find for LSU baseball in the Eugene regional, but freshman Dylan Crews has not been the reason why.
The Tigers were shut out by Gonzaga's Alek Jacob on Friday, but it was Crews' leadoff triple in the 4th inning that represented LSU's best chance at a big inning.
In an elimination game on Saturday afternoon LSU coach Paul Mainieri shuffled the lineup to move Crews up to the leadoff spot -- and the right fielder delivered immediate dividends. Crews greeted Central Connecticut State University starter Andrew Braun with a no-doubter over the left-field wall on his third pitch of the game and helping pin the Tigers to an early 2-0 lead.
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Central responded with a 5-run second inning to erase the deficit. After going down in order in the 2nd, he got another chance to spark a big inning and he didn't waste any time. Crews turned on the first pitch if the inning and pounded his second homer of the day against Braun over the left-field fence.
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The two homers represented the 14th and 15th of the season for Crews, a number that's good for No. 2 on the team behind Gavin Dugas' 16 in the 2021 season.
The Tigers continued to batter Braun in the 3rd, driving in another two runs on a Drew Bianco double later in the inning to knot the score at 5-5 behind starter Ma'Khail Hilliard.
Crews gave the ball another ride to center field in the 4th inning, but his drive to center-field was caught for an out on the the run.
LSU went into the day playing for its postseason lives against Central in the loser's bracket of the Eugene regional. A loss would mark the final career game as LSU's head coach for Mainieri, who has already announced he'll retire at season's end. The winner of the game will advance to Sunday to face the loser of tonight's matchup between Oregon and Gonzaga.
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