Gamecocks battle to take opener at LSU

South Carolina did something Friday night for the first time since March 17: win the opening game of a series against a Southeastern Conference opponent.

The Gamecocks (27-17, 11-11) rode a productive second inning to an important 3-2 victory over No. 15 LSU at Alex Box Stadium.

USC scored all three of its runs in the second inning. The Gamecocks had four singles in the frame, with Alex Destino driving in a run and Madison Stokes knocking in two more.

LSU (30-16, 13-9) stranded 11 runners in the game.

“I never thought three runs would have got it done,” USC head coach Chad Holbrook said. “We really made some big pitches when they had runners in scoring position. ... It wasn’t easy. They are a really good team.”

The Gamecocks’ last SEC series-opening win came in the conference season opener against Tennessee. USC had lost six consecutive SEC weekend openers, including a March 24 contest against Alabama. The Gamecocks went on to win that series vs. the Tide.

Jonah Bride scored the first run Friday on Destino’s single, but it almost didn’t count. Bride was originally ruled out in a play at the plate. The call was overturned after a review.

USC was held scoreless for the final seven innings of the game and didn’t collect another hit until an L.T. Tolbert single in the ninth.

Josh Reagan (5-1) earned the win, and Tyler Johnson pitched the final five outs for his eighth save of the season. Reagan and Johnson surrendered one base hit apiece in a combined 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

“We just made pitches when we had to tonight,” Holbrook said. “We’ve had some games not go our way in these situations and today it went our way and I couldn’t be happier for our guys.”

Reagan, who relieved starter Wil Crowe in the fifth with runners on the corners and one out, induced a double play on his first pitch. Crowe pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks.

Johnson escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth with no damage, then recorded a game-ending strikeout with LSU runners at the corners.

“We wiggled out of some jams that you usually don’t wiggle out of in this stadium,” Holbrook said. “You have to credit our pitchers and our defense behind them. That was a beautiful double play there when we brought Reagan in. We’ve taxed Reagan and Johnson. They probably won’t be available [Saturday]. But maybe we can get them back Sunday.”

The Gamecocks are trying to bolster their NCAA Tournament résumé and snap a streak of five consecutive SEC series losses.

The second game of the series is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network. South Carolina will send Adam Hill (3-3) to the mound, with LSU starting Jared Poche (7-3).

“We played well,” Holbrook said. “We have to do a little better offensively. We have two more opportunities and we’ll see if we can get another big one.”

--- BOX SCORE: South Carolina 3, LSU 2 ---

This story was originally published May 5, 2017 at 11:07 PM with the headline "Gamecocks battle to take opener at LSU."