Gamecocks claw back to force extra innings, then fall to LSU in SEC tourney
It wasn't after dark like the first two games, but South Carolina baseball got yet another marathon at the SEC tournament on Thursday, as the Gamecocks played 12 innings against LSU, losing 6-4.
After playing until 2 a.m. eastern in the first two rounds, USC (33-24, 17-13 SEC) got underway Thursday shortly after 4 p.m. with staff ace Adam Hill on the mound, and twice rallied from deficits to force extra innings. Eventually, however, the Tigers grabbed the win with help from an unlikely source.
In the 12th inning, LSU sophomore pitcher Todd Peterson launched a two-RBI double off freshman reliever TJ Shook to give the Tigers the eventual game-winning runs. It was his first career hit, and he also earned the win after throwing five innings of one-run ball to close the game.
Peterson's double followed an RBI single from freshman Daniel Cabrera off USC reliever John Gilreath, who got two outs to start the frame but then ran into trouble, as runners got on thanks to a throwing error and walk.
South Carolina managed to get one run back in the 12th, with a pair of singles from seniors Matt Williams and Madison Stokes, but it wasn't enough in the team's longest game of the year. The Gamecocks have now been eliminated from the tourney and will have to wait until Monday to learn their NCAA tournament fate.
Early Thursday, however, it seemed as though extra innings would be a stretch for USC, as Hill battled command issues in the top of the second inning with two outs, issuing two walks sandwiched around a single to load the bases. An infield single scored one run for LSU, and a balk drove in another.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Gamecocks halved the Tigers' lead, as senior third baseman Jonah Bride led the frame off by getting hit by a pitch. A double from senior second baseman Justin Row pushed him to third base, and a sacrifice fly from senior catcher Hunter Taylor scored him.
USC tied things up in the sixth with a home run to left field from Row, his sixth long ball of the year, but LSU took the lead back in the eighth as reliever Eddy Demurias gave up a leadoff single to junior Antoine Duplantis up the middle. Two wild pitches allowed Duplantis to make his way to third, and on a shallow fly ball to right field, he tagged up and raced home.
The throw from sophomore Jacob Olson to Taylor was on target and had Duplantis beat by several steps. The right fielder was initially called out by home plate umpire Ryan Morehead, but a review showed that he had managed to evade the tag and touch home for LSU's third run of the day.
In the bottom of the ninth, South Carolina got some instant momentum from junior shortstop LT Tolbert, who rocketed a line drive to center field that was misjudged by sophomore Zach Watson. The ball soared over his head, allowing Tolbert to race to third, and he scored two batters later on a single up the middle by Olson, tying the game and extending it into extra innings.
THREE POINTS
Star of the game: Justin Row, who went 2-5 for a third of USC's hits. He was the only Gamecock with multiple hits.
Play of the game: Peterson's double in the 12th was not only shocking — it was his first collegiate at-bat — it gave LSU the insurance runs it didn't know it needed until the bottom half of the frame.
Stat of the game: 5-16 two-out hitting for LSU, who got all but one of its RBIs with no outs to give.
2018 SEC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT SCORES, SCHEDULE
*All times eastern and all games televised on SEC Network unless otherwise noted
TUESDAY, MAY 22 (Single elimination)
Game 1: No. 11 Texas A&M 3, No. 6 Vanderbilt 1
Game 2: No. 7 Auburn 4, No. 10 Kentucky 3
Game 3: No. 8 LSU 8, No. 9 Mississippi State 5
Game 4: No. 5 South Carolina 4, No. 12 Missouri 2
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 (Double elimination)
Game 5: No. 11 Texas A&M 7, No. 3 Georgia 0
Game 6: No. 7 Auburn 9, No. 2 Ole Miss 3
Game 7: No. 1 Florida 4, No. 8 LSU 3
Game 8: No. 4 Arkansas 13, No. 5 South Carolina 8
THURSDAY, MAY 24 (Double elimination)
Game 9: No. 2 Ole Miss 5, No. 3 Georgia 4 (10)
Game 10: No. 8 LSU 6, No. 5 South Carolina 4 (12)
Game 11: No. 11 Texas A&M vs. No. 7 Auburn, approx. 7:35 p.m.
Game 12: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Arkansas, to follow
FRIDAY, MAY 25 (Double elimination)
Game 13: No. 2 Ole Miss vs. Game 11 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 14: Game 10 winner vs. Game 12 loser, to follow
SATURDAY, MAY 26 (Single elimination)
Game 15: Game 13 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 16: Game 14 winner vs. Game 12 winner, to follow
SUNDAY, MAY 27 (Championship)
Game 17: Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
This story was originally published May 24, 2018 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Gamecocks claw back to force extra innings, then fall to LSU in SEC tourney."