NASHVILLE — Junior left-hander Greg Smith fired his second straight complete game shutout and Nick Stavinoha drove in all three runs as ninth-ranked LSU won the rubber game of its Southeastern Conference series with No. 25 Vanderbilt, 3-0, at Hawkins Field on Sunday.
The Tigers improved to 31-14 overall, 12-9 in the SEC. LSU has won seven of its last eight SEC games, all against ranked teams. The Commodores fell to 29-14 overall and 10-11 in league play.
LSU entered Sunday’s game in second place in the SEC Western Division, one game behind Alabama (12-8). The Crimson Tide played host to Georgia at 2 p.m. Sunday. LSU will either remain in second place or move into a tie for first, depending on the result of the Alabama-Georgia contest.
LSU will begin a seven-game homestand at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Alex Box Stadium against cross-town rival Southern. The contest will be televised statewide by Cox Sports (cable channel 37 in Baton Rouge).
Smith (7-2) has now thrown 25.2 scoreless innings, dating back to the second inning versus Ole Miss on April 17.
In going the distance, the Alexandria, La. native scattered seven hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Stavinoha homered for the second consecutive day — his 13th of the season — and drove in another with a fielder’s choice in the fifth.
Vanderbilt outhit the Tigers seven to five, while LSU left 13 runners stranded on the day.
Freshman David Price (2-3) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits. The hard-throwing southpaw walked three and struck out six.
Through 2.2 innings, Price had fanned four and escaped a bases loaded jam in the first. In the third, Stavinoha got LSU on the board, hammering a fastball over the left field wall for a two-run homer and a 2-0 lead.
Stavinoha pushed across another run in the fifth, hustling out a fielder’s choice groundball and allowing Chris Jackson to score after reaching on a leadoff walk.
Vanderbilt escaped another bases loaded situation in the sixth. Price allowed two of the first three batters to reach base and was pulled after firing 100 pitches in 5.1 innings.
After recording a strikeout, reliever Jeff Sues walked Jordan Mayer, presenting Patterson an opportunity to stretch the lead with the bases loaded.
Sues fanned Patterson on three straight pitches and preserved the 3-0 score.
The Commodores put the leadoff man on for the fourth time in the game in the seventh but once again Smith earned the critical outs he needed, setting down the next three hitters in order.
Smith capped his gem with scoreless frames in the eighth and the ninth, including a strikeout of Dominic De La Osa to end the game.