BATON ROUGE — Georgia’s Jeff Keppinger went 5-for-5, scored four runs and drove in two to lead the Bulldogs to a 10-8 11-inning win in game two of the weekend series at Alex Box Stadium Saturday.
The loss marked the first time since SEC divisional play began that the Tigers have lost two games to an Eastern Division team in Alex Box Stadium in a three-game series.
LSU (11-8, 0-2 SEC) had won 16 straight SEC series at home before this weekend dating back to 1996.
Also, LSU fell to 0-2 in the SEC for the first time since 1981 when the Tigers lost a pair to now-Georgia head coach Ron Polk’s Mississippi State Bulldogs.
LSU hasn’t been swept in a three-game SEC opening series since 1972.
Down 8-4, LSU made a huge comeback in the ninth after Georiga’s Skip Browning walking the first two batters — Jorgensen and Witten — to open the inning. Browning was relieved by Jody Friedman with no outs and runners on first and second.
Friedman forced Mike Fontenot to line out to Keppinger at shortstop for the first out, and Theriot flied to right for the second out, advancing Jorgensen to third. Witten stole second with Brad Cresse at the plate.
With two on and two out, Cresse then singled through the hole into left field scoring both Jorgensen and Witten to cut the lead to 8-6.
With Billy McBride pinch running at first, Brad Hawpe came to the plate representing the tying run. Hawpe hit a double down the left field run to score McBride and trim the lead to 8-7.
Blair Barbier hit another double into the left field corner, scoring Hawpe from second and tying the game.
With the go-ahead run on second, Wally Pontiff singled to left sending Barbier rounding third toward home. Georgia left fielder Kris Edge then gunned down Barbier on a perfect throw to the plate to end the inning at 8-8.
In the top of the 11th, Georgia took the lead for good, 10-8, on a two RBI double by Andy Neufeld.
In the bottom of the 11th, Fontenot struck out, Theriot grounded out and pinch hitter Jeff Lipari flew out to left.
Tiger starter Trey Hodges was lifted in the top of the seventh after giving up Georgia’s fifth run. In 6 2/3 innings pitched, Hodges allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits while walking two and striking out four.
Reliever Shane Youman came in to get the final out in the seventh and pitch a scoreless eighth before allowing an RBI single to Josh Hudson in the ninth. Hunter Gomez gave up an RBI double to Keppinger and an RBI single to Brian Rainwater in the ninth before getting the final out.
Gomez put the first two batters down in order in the 10th before allowing a standup triple to Adam Swann. He was releived by Heath McMurray who struckout Edge to end the 10th before being roughed up for two runs in the 11th.
Georgia’s starter Matt Steele pitched seven innings allowing two runs (one earned) on seven scattered hits, striking out six and walking one.
Browning pitched the eighth for the Bulldogs, allowing four runs, all earned, on three hits while walking two. Georgia’s Jody’s Friedman pitched the ninth, 10th and 11th, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out two.
LSU and Georgia each put single digits on the board in the first inning as Rainwater doubled to center field scoring Keppinger and LSU’s Ryan Theriot hit an inside-the-park home run.
Theriot hit a line drive down the right field line that was just out of the reach of right fielder Adam Swann. Swann’s momentum sent him flipping over the right field fence in front of the bleachers and allowed Theriot to round the bases.
The teams traded runs again in the fifth inning when Edge singled in Mark Thornhill in the top of the inning and LSU’s Jeremy Witten scored on a wild pitch.
Georgia took the lead in the sixth, 4-2, when second baseman Neufeld Dorminy singled in Rainwater and Keppinger.
The Bulldogs chased Hodges in the seventh with an RBI single by Keppinger to make the score 5-2.
LSU put runners on second and third in the eighth after a single by Barbier and a double by Pontiff. Barbier then scored on a wild pitch by reliever Browning and Pontiff scored on a bloop single by pinch hitter Ray Wright. However, Wright was caught trying to advance to second to end the inning.
The Tigers trailed 5-4 going into the ninth.