BATON ROUGE — Lane Mestepey pitched his second complete game of the season, and Matt Heath’s two-run home run broke a 3-3 tie as LSU overcame four errors to defeat Ole Miss, 6-3, claiming the rubber game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Easter Sunday at Alex Box Stadium.
The win moves the second-ranked Tigers (27-11-1, 12-6) into sole possession of first place in the overall SEC standings LSU returns to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium to begin a home-and-home set with Northwestern State, the leaders of the Southland Conference. The Tigers and Demons will play on Wednesday in Natchitoches before LSU comes home to host Vanderbilt starting Friday in a three-game SEC series.
Wally Pontiff led off the sixth with a single, then went to third on Bryan Moore’s double down the right field line. Todd Linden’s ground ball to first scored Pontiff, then Heath hit a high drive down the right field line that stayed just inside the right field foul pole to give the Tigers the lead.
Once again, thanks to the brilliance of true freshman Mestepey, it would be enough. The southpaw allowed just two earned runs as he ran his overall mark to 7-0 and 5-0 in SEC games. Mestepey had pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed only one earned run against Tulane on Wednesday, but got no decision.
LSU took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first two innings. The Tigers got their first run on Pontiff’s sacrifice fly that scored Ryan Theriot, who led off the inning with a double. In the second, Linden led off the frame with his 10th home run of the season to right field.
But Ole Miss came back with a three-run fourth inning to take the lead.
Lance Jones led off the frame with a home run, and with one out John Christian singled. Christian came home two batters later on Banks Robinson’s double before Robinson scored the go-ahead run when Theriot booted a ground ball for his second error of the game.
Rebel starter Dan McShea (2-4) went 7 2/3 innings, walking only one while striking out six in a losing effort.