COLUMBIA, S.C. — LSU fell behind 3-0 after three innings and could not recover as South Carolina evened a three-game Southeastern Conference series with a 4-2 victory Saturday evening
For the fifth time in its six conference series this year, LSU (26-14, 9-7) finds itself in a rubber-game situation, as the series with USC (30-9, 10-6) wraps up Sunday at 1:30 p.m. LSU is 1-2 in rubber games this year, with a fourth rubber match with Mississippi State canceled by rain.
Sunday’s game will be televised live throughout Louisiana by the Jumbo Sports Network (WB-10 in Baton Rouge) and in other SEC markets by Comcast Sports Southeast.
South Carolina left-hander David Marchbanks, who gave up eight runs on eight hits in just two innings last Sunday against Vanderbilt, handcuffed the Tigers through the first seven innings by yielding just four hits and one run through that stretch to improve to 7-2.
Drew Meyer, who led off Friday’s game with a home run for South Carolina, doubled to lead off this game, and Steve Thomas then reached on Aaron Hill’s error. LSU pitcher Brian Wilson induced a double play ground ball from Yaron Peters, but Trey Dyson’s double to deep center field score Meyer to make it 1-0.
Thomas doubled to start the USC third, then the lead would expand to 3-0 in the third when Peters launched a two-run home run off of the batters’ eye in center field. Peters currently leads the SEC with 15 home runs and became the fourth Carolina player to hit a home run in the series after the Tigers came having not allowed a home run in 56 innings.
LSU finally showed some life in the fifth, as Matt Heath’s one-out single gave LSU just its second baserunner of the game. Two batters later, Chris Phillips singled to move Heath to second before Jon Zeringue’s base hit plated Heath with the Tigers’ first run.
USC would reassume a three-urn lead in the sixth on Thomas’ RBI single and drive LSU starter Brian Wilson from the game. Wilson took the loss despite striking out a career high eight over 5 2/3 innings.
Marchbanks finally ran out of gas in the eighth, giving up a single to Hill before Wally Pontiff doubled to deep right-center to score Hill. Sean Barker came up for LSU representing the tying run, but Gamecock relief ace Blake Taylor got Barker looking to end the eighth. Taylor would walk pinch hitter Blake Gill to bring Phillips to the plate with the tying run, but Phililips lined to third to end the game.