Homers help No. 9 LSU edge Notre Dame

In its 122nd season opener, the Notre Dame baseball team fell to No. 9 LSU, 7-6, before an LSU-record 12,844 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge Friday night.

The Irish led early, scoring runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth, but LSU came back with a grand slam in the sixth and three-run homer in the eighth.

Cole Daily went 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Nick Podkul was 1-for-3 with two RBI and Matt Vierling was 2-for-4. Notre Dame starter Scott Tully carried a shutout into the sixth, but eventually was charged with four earned runs in 5-plus innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, Beau Jordan started LSU's rally from a 6-4 deficit with a one-out double. Irish head coach Mik Aoki brought Vierling in from third to pitch, and after a groundout, Vierling walked Chris Reid before Josh Smith homered down the right field line to put LSU up, 7-6.