COLUMBIA, S.C. — LSU right-hander Jared Bradford limited South Carolina to three runs in 8.1 innings Saturday, and the Tigers withstood a late Gamecock charge to record a 6-5 victory at Sarge Frye Field.
LSU improved to 13-8 overall and 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference, as the Tigers won for the sixth time in eight games. South Carolina dropped to 16-3 overall and 1-1 in SEC play.
The teams meet in the series finale at 11 a.m. CDT Sunday. Freshman right-hander T.J. Forrest is slated to start on the mound for LSU, while South Carolina is expected to counter with freshman right-hander Blake Cooper.
The Gamecocks won the series opener, 5-0, on Friday night.
Sunday’s game can be heard on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, and it will be televised regionally by the Jumbo Sports Network (Cable Ch. 10 in Baton Rouge).
The audio broadcast will be available in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
“I’m very proud of the way our guys responded today after the loss on Friday,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Jared Bradford was outstanding and gave us a tremendous effort. We also played great defense behind him, and we came up with some clutch hits. I thought it was an excellent outing for our team, and we can hopefully build some momentum from here.”
LSU collected 10 hits, including three for extra bases, and did not commit an error en route to ending the Gamecocks’ six-game win streak.
Bradford (4-1) allowed three runs on six hits in 8.1 innings, the longest outing by an LSU pitcher this season. The junior from Hueytown, Ala. Fired 132 pitchers, recording two walks and six strikeouts.
With LSU leading 6-3, Bradford was lifted in the top of the ninth inning after he retired South Carolina DH Drew Martin to open the frame. Reliever Louis Coleman retired James Darnell on a fly ball to right field, but Coleman then issued a two-out walk to pinch hitter Steven Reinhold.
Robbie Grinestaff followed with a pinch-hit, two-run homer to left field to narrow LSU’s lead to 6-5.
Coleman then walked pinch hitter Phil Disher, but Harley Lail lifted a fly ball into shallow right field where Steven Waguespack made a brilliant diving catch in foul territory to end the game.
LSU grabbed a 1-0 lead against South Carolina starter Mike Cisco in the first inning as centerfielder Jared Mitchell doubled with one out and later scored on catcher Sean Ochinko‘s single.
Ochinko extended the Tigers’ advantage to 2-0 in the fourth with a solo homer to left field, his fifth dinger of the season.
LSU added a run in the fifth when third baseman J.T. Wise tripled and scored on first baseman Buzzy Haydel‘s grounder to shortstop.
The Tigers increased the margin to 5-0 in the seventh when second baseman Chris McGhee delivered a two-run single.
South Carolina, however, mounted a comeback in the seventh inning against Bradford. Pinch-hitter Jon Willard unloaded a two-out, three-run homer to narrow the deficit to 5-3.
The Tigers scored a vital insurance run in the top of the ninth when shortstop Michael Hollander led off the inning with a bunt single and later scored on leftfielder Blake Dean‘s groundout.
Cisco (2-1) was charged with the loss as he allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings with no walks and three strikeouts.
LSU 6, South Carolina 5 (Mar 17, 2007 at Columbia, S.C.)
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LSU………………… 100 110 201 – 6 10 0 (13-8, 1-1 SEC)
South Carolina…… 000 000 302 – 5 7 1 (16-3, 1-1 SEC)
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Pitchers: LSU – Jared Bradford; Louis Coleman(9).
South Carolina – Mike Cisco; Jordan Costner(7); Will Atwood(8).
Win-Jared Bradford(4-1) Loss-Mike Cisco(2-1) T-2:48 A-5057
HR LSU – Sean Ochinko (5).
HR USC – Robbie Grinestaff (1); Jon Willard (2).
Cisco faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Costner faced 1 batter in the 8th.