ATHENS, Ga. — Senior left-hander Lane Mestepey moved into sole possession of second place on the LSU career victories list Friday night as he fired a complete game to defeat No. 17 Georgia, 8-2, in the teams’ Southeastern Conference opener at Foley Field.
Fifth-ranked LSU (15-4, 1-0 SEC ) won its fourth straight game, while Georgia (10-7, 0-1) lost for the fourth time in its last five outings.
The teams continue their weekend series at 3 p.m. CST Saturday. Sophomore left-hander Clay Dirks (4-0) will pitch for LSU, and Georgia will counter with junior right-hander Michael Hyle (1-0).
LSU collected 12 hits Friday to win its SEC opener for the fourth consecutive season.
Mestepey (5-1) improved his career record to 34-13, and he is now just four wins shy of the LSU career mark for wins (38) held by Scott Schultz (1992-95). Mestepey pitched his 16th career complete game Friday, limiting the Bulldogs to two runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
The Tigers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when center fielder Ryan Patterson launched a solo homer, his seventh blast this season and his fifth in the Tigers’ last four games.
Georgia rebounded to take a 2-1 advantage when first baseman Josh Morris unloaded a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. Mestepey, however, handcuffed the Bulldogs over the final eight innings, allowing just four hits after the first frame.
LSU tied the game at 2-2 in the third when third baseman Blake Gill lined an RBI single to score left fielder Quinn Stewart, who had singled to open the inning.
The Tigers broke the contest open with a three-run fourth against Bulldogs starter Mitchell Boggs (1-2). Right fielder Nick Stavinoha reached on an error, and he moved to third on catcher Matt Liuzza’s double. DH Dustin Weaver delivered an RBI double to score Stavinoha before first baseman Will Harris’ groundout scored Liuzza.
Stewart lifted a sacrifice fly to score Weaver and increase LSU’s lead to 5-2.
LSU added three more runs in the seventh as Gill belted an RBI single and second baseman Clay Harris lined a two-RBI double to highlight the uprising.
Boggs was charged with the loss, as he allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits in 6.1 innings with one walk and six strikeouts.
LSU 8, Georgia 2 (Mar 18, 2005 at Athens, Ga.)
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LSU……………….. 101 300 300 – 8 12 0 (15-4, 1-0 SEC)
Georgia…………. 200 000 000 – 2 7 2 (10-7, 0-1 SEC)
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Pitchers: LSU – Mestepey. Georgia – Boggs; Dobbs(7); Brown(7).
Win-Mestepey(5-1) Loss-Boggs(1-2) T-2:18 A-1633
HR LSU – Patterson (7).
HR UG – Morris (6).
Dobbs faced 3 batters in the 7th.