After a strong final home series against Arkansas, the top-ranked LSU Tigers traveled to Columbia to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks and an old friend in former head coach Paul Mainieri. The Tigers jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the game, but the Gamecocks stayed vigilant and tied it up in the sixth inning. Then with the bases loaded in the ninth, South Carolina would walk it off on a wild pitch to win it 6-5.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In the first inning, Jared Jones was the first base runner of the night with a single up the middle to get things going for the Tigers. Then, Daniel Dickinson put LSU on the board with a two-run shot to left field to make it an early 2-0 lead in Columbia.
In the second inning, Connor Ware loaded the bases with three straight walks and was later pulled for Jaden Noot. KJ Scobey then cut the Tigers’ lead in half with a sacrifice fly to score a run.
LSU had a chance to extend the lead in the fourth as Ethan Frey and Josh Pearson both reached with one out, but Steven Milam grounded into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.
Next inning, LSU loaded the bases with a walk to Michael Braswell, a single from Chris Stanfield, and a walk to Derek Curiel before a RBI single from Jones made it a 3-1 lead for the Bayou Bengals.
South Carolina tied the game in the sixth inning as Nathan Hall started it off with a single before a triple from Henry Kaczmar sent Hall home to make it 3-2. Later in the inning, Kaczmar would score on a sacrifice fly from Kennedy Jones to quickly knot it up at 3-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Gamecocks got a single from Scobey before Jackson was hit by a pitch. Then, a magical play from Pearson in right field as he made a sliding grab and then threw the ball back to the second to double off Scobey and end the inning.
In the eighth, Dickinson singled, followed by a hit from Jake Brown that moved Dickinson to third. After Brown stole second, Pearson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Milam then hit a sacrifice fly to score Dickinson before Braswell singled to score Brown and make it a 5-3 lead for LSU.
South Carolina cut that lead in half quickly as Kaczmar got his second triple of the night, followed by a single from Jones made it 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth.
In the closing moments of the game and LSU leading by one, Scobey sent one to left center field for a solo home run to tie the game at 5-5. Jase Waita pinch hit for Gavin Braland and tripled, putting the winning run just 90 feet away. Blake Jackson was hit by a pitch for the second base runner of the inning, and Kaczmar was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cayden Gaskin came on to pinch hit with two outs, and a wild pitch from Zac Cowan would be the way this one ended as South Carolina walked it off 6-5.
BIG NUMBER: 2
South Carolina may have scored six runs in the contest, but none were bigger than the two in the bottom of the ninth as KJ Scobey tied the game with a solo home run before a walk-off wild pitch with the bases loaded won it for the Gamecocks.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: KJ Scobey
Scobey went 2-3 at the plate on Thursday night with a sacrifice fly RBI and a game-tying solo home run that set up the walk-off victory.
UP NEXT: Game 2 between the Tigers and the Gamecocks is set for Friday night with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch. Pregame begins at 5:30 on Southwest Louisiana’s Sports Station.