Baton Rouge, La. ? The Stetson baseball team (6-6) scored eight runs on 23 hits in a doubleheader Saturday at five-time national champions LSU, but the Hatters dropped both games by scores of 9-3 and 6-5.  Freshman shortstop Robert Crews (Port Charlotte, Fla.) had two hits in each game.

LSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single to center field by first baseman Matt Clark, but the Hatters would get that back and more in the top of the third.  Senior left fielder Justin Bass (DeLand, Fla.) drove a double into the right field corner to bring home junior first baseman Jeremy Cruz (Miami, Fla.), who had singled.  The next batter, junior right fielder Brian Pruitt (Miami, Fla.) grounded to short as sophomore DH Aaron Crittenden (Fort Myers, Fla.) scored to put Stetson ahead 2-1.

LSU tied the game in their half of the third on a fielder's choice and unfortunately for the Hattters a botched rundown play at third base allowed the Tigers to score two more runs in that frame and go back ahead 4-2.

The Tigers tacked on two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth on a dramatic inside-the-park home run by center fielder Jared Mitchell.  The Tigers cruised home from there to a 9-3 win.

The Hatters attempted a rally in the top of the eighth, beginning the inning with three consecutive hits including an RBI double by freshman third baseman Jacob deGrom (DeLeon Springs, Fla.).  That would be all Stetson would get, however, getting runners on second and third with nobody out but stranding them there.

Junior starting pitcher Jake Hitchcock (Alachua, Fla.) took the loss for the Hatters, giving up four earned runs (six overall) in five innings with six strikeouts.  LSU starter Jared Bradford went six innings with eight strikeouts, scattering two runs on eight hits and two walks to earn the win.

DeGrom went three for three at the plate including his first career double while Bass, Cruz and Crews had two hits each.  Tiger DH Derek Helenihi led his team with four hits, an RBI and a run scored while Clark had three hits.  Third baseman Michael Hollander homered for LSU.

In the nightcap, LSU immediately jumped out in front 1-0 when second baseman Ryan Schimpf drove senior Nick Pugliese's (Deltona, Fla.) first pitch of the game over the right center field fence.  The Tigers got three more runs in their first turn at bat to run up a quick 4-0 lead that they would not relinquish.

Cruz came up with a two-out RBI single in the top of the third to make the score 4-1 and Crittenden scored Stetson's second run on a wild pitch in the next inning after doubling to right center and moving to third on a groundout.

The Tigers brought a run home in the home half of the fourth but Stetson would continue to keep the pressure on.  After sophomore second baseman Casey Frawley (New Haven, Conn.) was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the fifth, Crews brought him home all the way from first with a double into the right center field gap to cut the lead to 5-3.

After LSU added another run to make it 6-3, the Hatters came back yet again.  In the top of the seventh, Frawley doubled and the next batter, Crews, drove him in with a triple to make it 6-4.  Cruz then stepped to the plate and scored Crews with an RBI sacrifice fly as Stetson cut the Tiger lead to 6-5.

That would be as close as the Hatters could make it however; LSU relief pitcher Daniel Bradshaw held Stetson down the rest of the way, even getting the potent trio of Frawley, Crews and Cruz to go down in order in the top of the ninth to end the game.

Crews doubled, tripled and drove in two runs to lead the Stetson offense in the second game.  Crittenden doubled twice and Frawley singled and doubled.  Ryan Verdugo got the win for LSU with six strikeouts in five innings to start the ballgame.  Pugliese took the loss, although Stetson got excellent relief performances out of Ian Thompson, David Burns and Justin DeChert, who combined to hold the Tigers to two unearned runs in the final eight innings.  Schimpf and Hollander led LSU with two hits apiece.

Bill Topping will broadcast tomorrow's series finale from Alex Box Stadium with first pitch coming approximately at 1 p.m. Central, 2 p.m. Eastern.  Hatter fans should remember to turn their clocks forward one hour tonight so they don't miss any baseball action tomorrow afternoon in Baton Rouge.  The broadcast is available through Hatter Vision on the official online home of Stetson Athletics, www.gohatters.com.