COLUMBIA, S.C. — LSU struck for three runs in the top of the 11th inning Friday as the top-ranked Tigers opened defense of their Southeastern Conference title with a 6-3 victory over No. 3 South Carolina at Sarge Frye Field.
LSU (17-2 overall, 1-0 SEC) faces South Carolina (18-1, 0-1) in Game 2 of the series at 3 p.m. CST Saturday. Junior left-hander Lane Mestepey (3-1, 2.57 ERA) will start on the mound for LSU, while South Carolina will counter with junior right-hander Aaron Rawl (4-0, 2.08 ERA).
The Tigers’ 11th-inning uprising began when USC reliever Chad Blackwell (1-1) hit Jon Zeringue with a pitch, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Clay Harris struck out, Ivan Naccarata delivered the go-ahead run with a single.
After Matt Horwath popped out to Blackwell, J.C. Holt singled, sending Naccarata to third. Ryan Patterson then singled to score Naccarata and increase the lead to 5-3, as South Carolina lifted Blackwell from the game.
Blake Gill then greeted reliever Zac McCamie with another RBI single, scoring Holt, to give LSU a 6-3 advantage.
Reliever Greg Smith (1-0) who entered the game in the bottom of the 10th, held the Gamecocks scoreless in the 11th to earn the victory.
In his two innings of work, Smith, a sophomore left-hander, surrendered no runs on one hit with one walk and four strikeouts.
Blackwell, who entered the game with six saves this season, was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in 2.2 innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
USC starter Billy Buckner fired 4.2 perfect innings to start the game before Zeringue launched a solo homer — his fourth of the season — to tie the game at 1-1.
LSU took at 2-1 lead in the sixth on a Patterson sacrifice fly, and the Tigers extended the advantage to 3-1 in the eighth when Patterson delivered an RBI single.
South Carolina tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run homer by Brendan Winn, his fifth of the season. Winn’s homer came off of LSU starter Justin Meier, who pitched 8.1 solid innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with three walks and a career-high eight strikeouts.
Reliever Jason Determann got the final two outs of the ninth inning in relief of Meier, but Determann could not continue into the 10th inning after Steven Tolleson’s ground ball glanced off of Determann’s pitching hand.
Smith was called upon to relieve Determann, and he responded by picking up his first career collegiate win.
LSU 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3 — 6 12 2
USC 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 — 3 8 0
E-Naccarata, Meier. LOB-LSU 10, USC 10.
2B-Liuzza, Horwath, Powell 2.
HR-Zeringue (4), Winn (5).
Win-Smith, G. (1-0).
Loss-Blackwell (1-1).
Umpires-Walsh, Short, Asher.
Time-2:56.
A-5481.