COLUMBIA, S.C.– LSU overcame a 2-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the fourth inning and four more in the seventh, but had to overcome an anxious ninth inning to hold off a furious South Carolina rally for a 9-8 victory in a Southeastern Conference game Friday night at Sarge Frye Field.
The Tigers (26-13, 9-6) look to clinch their third straight SEC series in game two against the Gamecocks (29-9, 9-6) Saturday at 4 p.m. EDT.
Wally Pontiff’s leadoff double in the fourth got the Tigers started on the comeback trail, then Sean Barker singled to move Pontiff to third, and a fielder’s choice ground ball by Eric Wiethorn cut the USC lead to 2-1.
Matt Heath then doubled off the left-center field wall to score Wiethorn with the tying run, and LSU would take the lead for good on the very next batter when Jason Columbus homered to deep center field off of the batter’s eye, which is out of play behind the center field fence. Columbus appeared to at first have at triple, but after the umpires conferred, Columbus was awarded the round-tripper.
Rocky Scelfo would extend the lead to 5-2 in the fifth with his leadoff home run to left. Scelfo would finish the night 3-for-5, his second three-hit game in the Tigers’ last three outings.
USC jumped out to a 1-0 lead on its first batter of the game when Drew Meyer homered to left field. It marked the first time that Mestepey has given up a home run to the leadoff batter of the game.
The Gamecocks would extend the lead to 2-0 in the third thanks in large part to LSU miscues. It started with one out when Meyer singled, and then the USC shortstop was caught in a rundown, only to reach second safely when Columbus’ throw went wide of second base. A ground ball by Steve Thomas moved Meyer to third before Chris Phillips’ attempt to pick him off went into left field, bringing Meyer home.
But South Carolina could not score again off of Mestepey until Justin Harris’ RBI single in the sixth, as the Tiger southpaw improved to 8-2 on the year by winning his fifth consecutive start for the first time in his career. USC had two runners on after Harris’ hit with an attempt to tie, but Mestepey fanned Landon Powell to end the inning.
Mestepey could not complete the deal, though, giving up a leadoff homer in the ninth to Kevin Melillo and a two-run shot with two out to Trey Dyson, forcing Jake Tompkins to come in and close, but Tompkins gave up a single to Garis Gonce and a double to Brian Buscher, and an infield hit by pinch hitter Matt Riddle narrowed the gap to 9-7 and brought the potential winning run to the plate.
Before pinch hitter Gary Bell could swing the bat, Tompkins made an errant throw on a pickoff attempt, scoring Bushcer to make it 9-8. Tompkins finally ended the game by getting Bell to ground back to the mound.
LSU then got out to a 9-3 pad with a four-run seventh. Scelfo led off with a single, and Aaron Hill sacrificed him to second. Reliever Matt Campbell walked Pontiff and gave up a single to Barker, then seemed to get out of trouble by getting Wiethorn to hit a potential double play ground. But Meyer dropped Mellilo’s relay throw, scoring Pontiff and leaving the bases loaded.
The Tigers then took advantage of the free chance, as Heath singled home Pontiff, then Campbell uncorked a wild pitch to plate Barker and Phillips lifted a sacrifice fly to score the Tigers’ final run. USC starter Steven Bondurant took his first loss of the season (5-1), giving up five runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings. Campbell did not retire a batter, giving up three runs (two unearned) on two hits.