The LSU Tigers were not fazed by South Carolina pitcher Matt Campbell’s statistics coming into Sunday’s rubber game against the Gamecocks.
Campbell entered the game with a 4-0 record and 0.00 ERA in 27 2/3 innings with 43 strikeouts and two walks and had not given up a run. He left Sunday’s game, giving up six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings and took the loss as the No. 1 Tigers unloaded on No. 4 South Carolina to take a 12-7 win at Sarge Frye Field in Columbia, S.C.
LSU (18-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) took 2-of-3 from the Gamecocks (18-2), winning 6-3 on Friday and losing 12-5 Saturday. The Gamecocks came into the weekend with a perfect 18-0 mark.
Catcher Matt Liuzza hit two home runs and had four RBIs, and his 3-run home run helped give LSU a 5-run fourth inning for a 6-1 lead. Left fielder Jon Zeringue hit two home runs late in the game to help fend off the Gamecocks.
Liuzza and Zeringue each had three home runs on the weekend. Zeringue homered on Friday and Liuzza on Saturday.
LSU fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but Liuzza’s solo home run to right tied the game in the second inning.
The Tigers scored five in the fourth off Campbell on Liuzza’s second home run and a 2-run single from first baseman Will Harris.
South Carolina closed to 6-4 in the fifth off LSU starter Nate Bumstead, but the Tigers scored two more runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to have a commanding 10-4 lead.
Harris had another RBI-single in the sixth and center fielder J.C. Holt had a sacrifice fly to make it 8-4. Zeringue homered in the seventh for a 7-4 lead and back to back doubles by Clay Harris and Blake Gill made it 10-4.
South Carolina scored two more in the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out against reliever Clay Dirks, but the Gamecocks stranded the runners thanks to a double-play that was triggered by a runner’s interference call on left fielder Michael Campbell.
The Tigers scored two more in the ninth on another solo shot from Zeringue and an RBI-single from Ryan Patterson.
South Carolina first baseman Steve Pearce homered off Dirks in the ninth to make it 12-7.
Bumstead (3-0) picked up the win and gave up six runs in six innings on eight hits. He walked three and struck out four. Dirks finished the game with three innings and earned his first save of the season with three innings pitched and one run allowed.
In Friday’s game, the Tigers and Gamecocks went at it for 11 innings before the Tigers took the win. Greg Smith (1-0) got the win for LSU. In Saturday’s tilt, the Gamecocks ripped LSU starter Lane Mestepey and relievers Jordan Faircloth (0-2) and Michael Bonura for 12 runs and 11 hits.