South Carolina had a chance to win their first SEC series in approximately 42 weeks (this is only a slight exaggeration) on Sunday. They came very close to doing so. And then they remembered this season is a nightmare and lost.
The Gamecocks got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Jonah Bride brought TJ Hopkins home on a groundout. That lead was short-lived though, because LSU tied the game, then took a 2-1 lead in the second inning.
The Tigers scored their third run of the game on a wild pitch in the fourth inning, but South Carolina regained the lead in the fifth. Hopkins doubled with one out, then came home on an RBI single by LT Tolbert. Carlos Cortes followed with a base hit, then Alex Destino homered to put the Gamecocks up 5-3.
LSU got one run back in the bottom of the fifth inning, and they tied the game in the eighth amid some controversy over a call at first (read: the umpire called the runner safe when he was definitely out. #2017GamecockBaseball).
The Gamecocks scored their final run in the ninth inning. Jacob Olson got hit to start things off, Madison Stokes walked with one out, and Hopkins got on to load the bases. Tolbert followed with a sac fly to get Olson in. Unfortunately, the Tigers also scored one more run in the ninth to tie the game again, then scored one more again in the tenth.
Starter Reed Scott did a pretty good job, working four innings before Josh Reagan took over. Tyler Johnson entered the game in the eighth inning, and Colie Bowers and John Parke also pitched as the game went into extras. There were also a few defensive highlights in this game, including one play that reminded us all Olson has an extremely good arm.
With the loss, South Carolina falls to 27-19 overall and 11-13 in the SEC, while LSU improves to 32-16 overall and 15-9 in conference play. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Presbyterian. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Founders Park.