FINAL: Late Errors Cost Gamecocks Dearly In Shootout Loss To LSU Tigers

Andrew Lyon | May 23, 2024

May 22 2024; Hoover, AL, USA; South Carolina shortstop Talmadge LeCroy takes a throw too late to catch Arkansas base runner Jared Sprague-Lott as he steals second at the Hoover Met during the SEC Tournament. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA

On Thursday night, for just the second time in program history, South Carolina's baseball team played a game in the winner's bracket with a chance to move onto the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. In what turned into a shootout against the No. 11 seed LSU Tigers, Cole Messina's bat stayed scorching hot, but an expended bullpen combined with some critical mistakes proved to be too much for the Gamecocks to overcome in an 11-10 loss.

Tyler Pitzer got the start for Carolina, and outside of a shaky second innning where an errant throw on a pickoff attempt led to a run being scored, the freshman put together a valiant effort in the first three innings. He would eventually be repaid for his performance by the batting lineup, as in the bottom of the third inning, as Ethan Petry would score a run off a bloop double down the right field line and Cole Messina would hit a grand slam two batters later to give Carolina a 5-1 lead.

LSU would respond in the next half-inning, hitting two leadoff doubles which would chase Tyler Pitzer, and then hitting an RBI single and two-run homer off Jake McCoy to tie the game at five. With the Tigers up 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth, the Gamecocks would load with bases with two away, setting up Messina with another tantalizing opportunity, one that he would capitalize on, hitting a single to deep right-center that would bring home two runs. Second baseman Parker Noland would do the same exact thing two batters later, giving South Carolina a 10-7 lead.

In the 8th inning, with Connor McCreery on the mound, Talmadge LeCroy and Gavin Casas would each make an unfortunate error that would come back to haunt them, with LeCroy short-hopping a routine throw with one out and Casas being unable to block a line drive with two outs that would lead to two LSU runs, giving the Tigers much-needed momentum. In the 9th inning, the Purple and Gold would get two more runs, the last one coming from former Gamecock Michael Braswell off a Chris Veach changeup. Carolina was unable to mount a response in the final half-inning.

The Gamecocks will play the Kentucky Wildcats in an elimination game on Friday.

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