LSU Baseball Wins! Tigers Snap 9-Game SEC Losing Streak With Victory Over South Carolina

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

It’s over.

LSU’s historic nine-game losing streak in the Southeastern Conference ended on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with temperatures in the 60s and bright sunshine with a 6-1 victory over South Carolina at Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers (26-21, 7-15 SEC) last won an SEC game on Sunday, April 5, 16-6 in 12 innings, at Tennessee before losing three at Ole Miss, three at home to Texas A&M and three at Mississippi State. LSU will try to make it two in a row over the Gamecocks (22-25, 7-15 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader.

Freshman right-hander Marcos Paz (0-2, 7.23 ERA) will start the nightcap for LSU against junior right-hander Brandon Stone (5-2, 3.60 ERA). The scheduled opener on Friday night was moved to Saturday because of rain. The series’ third game is at 2 p.m. Sunday.

This one was not in doubt after the second inning when the Tigers took a 5-1 lead.

LSU starter William Schmidt, who moved to the No. 1 starting position with Casan Evans out temporarily as he comes back from arm stiffness a week ago, looked like a Friday night ace. The sophomore right-hander improved to 5-4 on the season as he struck out seven with only one walk around five hits and one run in six innings.

After South Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on three hits, LSU took a 2-1 lead in the home first. Mason Braun singled to lead off, reached third on a double by Omar Serna Jr. and scored on Derek Curiel’s RBI ground out to second base. Cade Arrambide followed with an RBI single.

The Tigers put the game away in the second on an RBI single by Curiel and a two-run single by Steven Milam for a 5-1 lead. An RBI fielder’s choice grounder by Arrambide put the Tigers up 6-1.

LSU reliever Grant Fontenot threw the final three innings for his third save. He limited the Gamecocks to zero runs on one hit with four strikeouts and no walks or wild pitches.

Amp Phillips (3-6) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on eight LSU hits and four walks around three strikeouts.