The stage was set for game one between two top-ten teams in Columbia, South Carolina. [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] vs [autotag]Will Sanders[/autotag]. Two teams coming into the game on fire.
For once this season, Skenes seemed human in a 13-5 loss to the Gamecocks.
South Carolina started the game off strong with a two-run blast in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. In the top of the second, LSU got one of those runs back thanks to a [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag] single to cut the lead to 2-1.
Mid 2 | The Tigers are on the board!
LSU – 1
SC – 2
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/HW7vVQ86Si— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 6, 2023
In the bottom of the third inning, Carolina hit a solo shot to increase their lead to 3-1. After that, mother nature decided to intervene. The game was delayed in the top of the fourth inning. When play resumed both of the original starters were done for the day.
[autotag]Micah Bucknam[/autotag] came in to pitch for [autotag]Samuel Dutton[/autotag] in the fifth inning and South Carolina greeted him with a lot of noise. The Gamecocks hit a grand slam and a solo shot to increase their lead to 8-1 after five innings. Carolina scored another run in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly to make it 9-1.
In the top of the seventh, Thompson hit a two-run shot to left field to cut the lead to 9-3. In the bottom of the seventh, Carolina scored three more runs to take a 12-3 lead.
Mid 7 | JT hits the 2-run bomb and we’ll go to the home half
LSU – 3
SC – 9
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/vk1yOcJsE1— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 7, 2023
In the top of the eighth, [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 12-5. The Gamecocks got one of those runs back on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning.
Mid 8 | Cade Beloso hits a 2-run HR and we go to the bottom of the frame
LSU – 5
SC – 12
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/VQGinCa60L— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) April 7, 2023
With the loss, LSU drops to 25-5 and 6-4 in conference play. They will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 11 a.m. CT. The Tigers will be fighting to stave off their first SEC series loss.
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