11:10 a.m. -- Scouting report

Tonight's pitching matchup is LSU junior left-hander Ryan Verdugo (8-2, 3.61) vs. Southern Miss freshman right-hander Todd McInnis (6-2, 5.10).

Here is how USM hitters fared against Verdugo in his three innings to start the April 9 game in Hattiesburg:

James Ewing: tapper back to mound, strikeout looking.
Brian Dozier: fly to right field, fly to center field.
Corey Stevens: single to right field.
Keith Winstead: walk.
Trey Cuevas: drive to right-center field run down by Leon Landry.
Drew Carson: bloop single to center.
Kyle Maxie: double-play ball hit to shortstop.
Chris Matesich: strikeout swinging.
Bo Davis: strikeout swinging.

Verdugo left after three innings, with the score tied 0-0.

Austin Ross pitched the next two innings. LSU took a 6-0 lead with six runs in the fourth inning, and Ross went on to get the win. He pitched yesterday, throwing 49 pitches in four innings on a hot afternoon, so don't look for him to pitch today against the Golden Eagles. For the record, he gave up one hit in two innings at USM in that April 9 game.

Louis Coleman was next on the mound for LSU at USM, pitching the sixth inning. Here's how he fared:

Ewing: strikeout swinging.
Dozier: pop-up to first base.
Stevens: strikeout swinging.

LSU got a run in the top of the seventh. Paul Bertuccini was next on the mound for LSU at USM, and he quickly got into trouble. Here is how the Golden Eagles fared against him:

Winstead: ground out to Michael Hollander deep behind third base.
Cuevas: home run to center field.
Carson: strikeout swinging.
Maxie: walk.
Matesich: three-run homer to left-center.

That cut LSU's lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Daniel Bradshaw relieved Bertuccini, and here is how USM hitters fared against Bradshaw:

Davis: single, stolen base.
Ewing: RBI double.
Dozier: ground out to third base.

That left LSU with a 7-4 lead through seven innings. The Tigers got a run in the top of the eighth for an 8-4 lead, and Bradshaw returned to the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Here is how the Golden Eagles fared against him:

Stevens: pop fly to second base.
Winstead: hit by pitch.
Cuevas: strikeout swinging.
Carson: pop fly to second base.

Jared Bradford, in his first outing since a shin/foot injury against Alabama four days earlier, pitched the bottom of the ninth for LSU. Here is how the USM hitters did against Bradford:

Maxie: strikeout swinging.
Matesich: ground out to shortstop.
Davis: single to right field.
Ewing: ground out to third base.

LSU won with 8 runs, 15 hits and 0 errors.
USM had 4 runs, 8 hits and 1 error.

In case you're wondering, here is how Southern Miss lined up last night vs. UNO:

Davis, cf
Dozier, ss
Ewing, 2b
Trey Sutton, 1b
Carson, lf
Maxie, dh
Matesich, 3b
Winstead, c
Michael Ewing, rf

The Southern Miss probable starter tonight, McInnis, didn't pitch against LSU in the April 9 game in Hattiesburg. Josh Billeaud started and gave up six runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Wade Weathers pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball, and J.R. Ballinger and Collin Cargill each gave up a run in two innings of three-hit pitching.

Weathers pitched last night. The others who pitched against LSU in April did not pitch last night.

Hope you find this helpful when you get the starting lineups tonight and keep up with the game.

Got a comment or question for Carl? E-mail him at cdubois@theadvocate.com.