BATON ROUGE — Fifth-ranked South Carolina used a six-run sixth inning Friday night to pull away from No. 15 LSU en route to a victory 12-2 at Alex Box Stadium.
The Gamecocks (24-3, 6-1 SEC) won their seventh straight contest while LSU dropped to 20-8 overall, 2-5 in the SEC.
LSU junior left-hander Clay Dirks (3-2, 3.20) takes to the mound in Game 2 at 3 p.m. Saturday. He will oppose freshman right-hander Mike Cisco (3-0, 2.73).
Live audio, live stats and streaming video for Saturday’s contest are available in the Geaux Zone powered by USAgencies on www.LSUsports.net.
USC benefited from six walks Friday night, including three from starter Daniel Forrer. Forrer (1-2) worked five innings and was tagged for six runs on six hits.
“You can’t walk guys because eventually they are going to get their hits,” said head coach Smoke Laval. “When you get behind it just wears on you.”
Right-hander Andrew Cruse (3-0) picked up the win in 4.2 innings of relief of starter Arik Hempy. The two combined to limit the Tigers to two runs on six hits.
Both LSU runs came via solo homers by third baseman Will Harris in the fifth and second baseman J.T. Wise in the eighth. Right fielder Quinn Stewart saw his hitting streak come to an end at 10 games.
“Hempy is pretty good, but I thought we swung the bats alright,” said Laval. “We hit some hard ground balls to third and drove some balls.”
The Gamecocks got on the board in the first and then pushed two across in the third on a two-run blast by third baseman Neil Geisler. It would be the first of four RBI for Geisler on the night.
USC put the game away in the sixth with six runs courtesy of RBI singles by catcher Ian Paxton and right fielder Mark Stanley, both of which drove in runners whom Forrer walked.
LSU reliever Nolan Cain issued a bases-loaded walk during the South Carolina uprising. Wise then misplayed a groundball which allowed two runners to score. Following designated hitter Robbie Grinestaff’s sacrifice fly, the Gamecocks held a commanding 9-1 lead.
USC first baseman Justin Smoak connected on a three-run homer over the right-center field wall off right-hander Edgar Ramirez in the eighth.
Cruse pitched the final 4.2 innings, allowing a run on three hits to earn the victory.
South Carolina 12, LSU 2 (Mar 31, 2006 at Baton Rouge, La.)
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South Carolina…… 102 006 030 – 12 12 0 (24-3, 6-1 SEC)
LSU………………… 000 010 010 – 2 6 1 (20-8, 2-5 SEC)
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Pitchers: South Carolina – Hempy; Cruse(5). LSU – Forrer; Cain(6); Ramirez(6); Bonura(9).
Win-Cruse(3-0) Loss-Forrer(1-2) T-2:51 A-7259
HR SCAL – Giesler (3); Smoak (4).
HR LSU – Wise (3); Harris, W. (3).
Forrer faced 3 batters in the 6th.