By Cory Burkarth
After dropping the final two games of a three-game series with No. 5 LSU, the Gamecocks baseball team finds itself in fourth-place in the SEC-East.
The Gamecocks (14-6, 2-4 SEC) got the weekend off to a good start, homering four times en route to a 7-3 victory over the Tigers Friday night at Carolina Stadium. Carolina starting pitcher Sam Dyson pitched seven solid innings of two-hit baseball, and the Gamecocks bats roared against LSU's Anthony Ranaudo. Ranaudo is probably LSU's best pitcher, so the Gamecocks felt good about their chances to win, and possibly sweep the weekend series.
LINK - FRIDAY'S BOX SCORE
Saturday, however, things went drastically different for the two teams.
The Tigers homered three times in the first four innings in support of starting pitcher Louis Coleman. Carolina's Adam Westmoreland started the game, lasting five innings before pulled by coach Ray Tanner. Six of the seven runs Westmoreland gave up were earned, and the freshman from Cayce walked two batters and struck out three.
LINK - SATURDAY'S BOX SCORE
And on Sunday, the Tigers won the rubber game and the series with an 11-3 victory.
Tied 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning, LSU jumped ahead by scoring three runs, followed by five more in the eighth.
LINK - SUNDAY'S BOX SCORE
"For us it was two really good wins," said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. "I kept telling the guys to keep plugging away, keep swinging away."
LSU improved to 17-5 on the season, and is now 4-2 in the SEC.
The Gamecocks are on the road Tuesday when they travel to play College of Charleston at 7 p.m.
