BATON ROUGE, La. — In an impressive display of talent, Daniel Dickinson powered two home runs while Anthony Eyanson delivered an outstanding pitching performance, leading LSU to a 7-0 victory over Little Rock on Friday night in the first game of the Baton Rouge Regional.
LSU, holding the No. 6 national seed with a 43-15 record, is participating in its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament and the 37th in the school’s history. They are set to face the winner of the matchup between Rhode Island and Dallas Baptist on Saturday. Meanwhile, Little Rock will compete against the loser in an elimination round.
Eyanson showcased remarkable skill on the mound, improving his record to 10-2. He allowed just five hits while striking out seven batters over 7 2/3 scoreless innings. Little Rock, finishing their season with a 24-33 record, had ended their regular season with four consecutive losses before rebounding with five straight wins to secure their first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title and earn their second-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
The game began with Derek Curiel setting the tone, leading off the first inning with a single against pitcher Jackson Wells, who currently has a 3-7 record. Curiel advanced to second base on a wild pitch and subsequently scored on a two-out single by Jake Brown, putting the Tigers ahead and keeping them in the lead for the rest of the game.
In the second inning, Chris Stanfield contributed with a single, then advanced to second on another wild pitch. Jared Jones followed with a crucial two-out RBI single, increasing the lead to 2-0. Dickinson’s first home run only strengthened this advantage, making it 3-0 by the fifth inning.
Further advancing LSU’s lead, Curiel hit an RBI double in the sixth inning and scored when Dickinson launched his second home run of the game. Adding to the total, Michael Braswell III hit an RBI double in the seventh inning, sealing the comprehensive 7-0 win for the Tigers.