LSU Baseball shut out South Carolina 7-0 Sunday to give the Tigers their first SEC series sweep of the season.
Zac Cowan was on the mound for LSU. Cowan continued the great play seen from all the starters for LSU over the weekend, logging six innings of work with seven strikeouts while only giving up two hits with zero earned runs.
In the first inning, Cowan got to work early, striking out the first batter of the game.
Then, in the next inning, Cowan strikes out another Gamecock. Through the first two innings of the game, both offenses were quiet logging only one hit between the two teams.
Third inning and Cowan continued to deal on the mound. He saw four batters and three went down swinging.
Bottom of the frame and William Patrick reached first base on a walk. A couple of batters later, Omar Serna Jr. comes up to the plate. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Serna Jr. smashed one deep to left field, scoring two runs for the Tigers. This gives LSU a 2-0 lead.
Moving on to the fourth and both pitchers put up zero’s. LSU stranded two runners on second and third.
Top of the fifth and South Carolina went three up, three down. Cowan struck out two more in the fifth, bringing his total to six strikeouts in five innings of work.
In the bottom of the fifth, Mason Braun got things started with a lead-off walk. Then Serna Jr. comes up to bat and reaches first on a fielding error, Braun advances
d to third on the error. Right after that, Derek Curiel walked and bases were loaded for LSU.
Up to the plate is Cade Arrambide and he hit a sacrifice fly to center field bringing in the run from third.
Then, Steven Milam walked to load the bases again. Tanner Reaves pinch hit for Edward Yamin IV and Reaves hits a single through the left side and both Serna Jr. and Curiel come home. Serna Jr. scored but Curiel is called out at home.
LSU held a 4-0 lead after five.
In his last inning of work, Cowan saw three more batters and struck out another Gamecock while forcing weak contact for the other two outs.
The Tigers add on to their lead in the sixth with two more runs. Patrick gets things started with a lead-off single. Next batter and Jack Ruckert singled through the right side and Patrick chugged all the way home to score from first.
Ruckert advanced to third on a fielding error.
Then another freshman at the plate, Mason Braun worked a full count then reached first on a walk.
Runners on the corners and Serna Jr. reached on a fielder’s choice that would ultimately score Ruckert.
Lead is 6-0 LSU.
Seventh inning and LSU tacks on one more run. Reaves on third base then Ruckert hits a single up the middle to bring in Reaves, bringing the lead to 7-0 LSU.
In the eighth inning, Gavin Guidry took the mound and closed out the victory for the Tigers.
Next, LSU will face off against the Tulane Greenwave on Tuesday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. CT inside Alex Box Stadium.
