USC-LSU Game 2 Blog - Sat. 4/26
posted by Scott Hood on Saturday, April 26, 2008
8:25 - Bangs will try to close it out here. Grounder to Darnell. Low throw. It gets past Smoak! Runner to 2B. Tying run in scoring position. Wild pitch! Runner to third. 0 outs. Infield in. Bloop to LF. Crisp drops the ball! Tying run scores. Winning run on 1B. It's 10-10. LSU didn't waste any time tying it up.
8:20 - Disher 2 hard fouls. 0-2. Disher K's. USC gets a run, but leaves the vases full. WE GO TO THE B11 WITH USC LEADING 10-9.
8:18 - Darnell up. He's 0-for-4 with a SF and BB. 0-2. He lines one towards RF. It's foul by 2-3 feet. That was close. That would have driven in at least 2 runs. 1-2. Ball 2-2. UF beat UGA, 7-2 today in Gainesville. Darnell K's. Foul tip. Catcher hangs on. Disher up.
8:15 - Merrifield sacrifices 5-4. Runners at 2&3, 1 out for Smoak. LDSU will intentionally walk Smoak. That's probably a good decision. Bases full for Darnell. Here comes the LSU coach. Smoak has reached base 7 times today. Darnell up.
8:12 - BASE HIT HAVENS!! Run scores. USC leads 10-9. He ripped that one. Merrifield up. Huge hit by Havens. Now USC needs to add some more.
8:10 - Enders leads off in T11. Line drive single to LF. Wingo up. He'll probably be bunting. Yes, but foul. 1-1 on Wingo. Ball. He's trying to drag bunt. base hit to RF!! Enders to third. USC is in business. Runners at 1&3, 0 out for Havens. Career high 3 hits for Wingo today.
8:05 - Pontiff up. He had the big 2-run HR in the 8th to tie it. Full count. K. We go to the T11 with the score tied at 9-9.
8:00 - We go to the B10 with the score tied at 9-9. In case you've joined us late, USC had a 7-0 in the 6th inning but LSU rallied to force extra innings. X-3 for the first out. X-2 for the second out. Bangs pitching well here.
7:55 - Lail down 1-2. Low. 2-2. Foul. He stays alive. Foul barely. Still 2-2. Another foul. Lail is hanging in. Fighting off pitches. Rips a foul down into the LF corner. That was foul by about 5-10 feet. Another hard foul. Lail has made goo contact the last two swings. He needs to straighten it out. U-5 at third base. 3 outs. We go to the B10 with the score tied at 9-9.
7:52 - Two quick strikes on Crisp. Here comes Tanner for a chat. Back in the box. Ball. Ball 2-2. Foul. Crisp K's. 2 outs. It's up to Lail.
7:50 - Full count on Disher. Pitcher will have to throw a strike here. Disher will be waiting. Foul. Check swing. No! Ump says no swing. Disher walks. Runners on 1&2, 1 out for USC. Crisp up.
7:45 - Darnell swings and misses. Now there's a bunt attempt. Foul. Another foul past 3B. P-6 for the first out. Disher up. He's singled the last 2 times up. Ball. Disher holds up. Umpire signals no swing. Foul off the ankle. Disher comes up limping. Trainer is out.
7:42 - Smoak leads off the T10. USC has 13 hits, LSU 11. There have been 5 HR in this game. Both of LSU's HR's are by pinch-hitters. Smoak rips a single to RF. He's 4-for-4 with 2 BB today. He's reached base 6 times today. Darnell up. No sign of a bunt.
7:38 - 2 outs in the B9. 0-2. Strikeout on 3 pitches. Free baseball here at the Box.
We go to the 10th inning with the score tied at 9-9. Smoak, Darnell, Disher due for USC.
7:35 - Full count on the first LSU batter in B9. Long drive to RF, but foul. Ball. Walk to leadoff batter. Pinch-runner. Will LSU sacrifice here?? He bunts foul. Now he's swinging way. Foul. 0-2. There's a 1-6-3 DP!! 2 outs.
7:30 - Merrifield swings and misses at the first 2 pitches. 0-2. Barely stays alive. Strikeout. We go to the B9 with the score tied at 9-9.
7:25 - We're in the T9 with the score tied at 9-9. Enders singles with 1 out. 5-3 sacrifice by Wingo. Enders to 2B. This sets the stage for Havens. However, LSU will walk him. It will be up to Merrifield.
7:20 - 2-3 sacrifice puts go-ahead run in scoring position for LSU. 2 outs. LSU's No. 3 hitter is up. P-4 for the thir dout. WE GO TO THE 9TH WITH THE SCORE TIED AT 9-9.
7:15 - Single to LF. Go-ahead run at first. Here comes Tanner. He calls for Parker Bangs. Here comes the grounds crew to put some sand on the pitcher's mound. Bangs has to prevent the lead run from scoring here.
7:12 - Wild pitch by Thomas. Runner to 2nd. Still 0 outs in B8. P-6 for the first out. Pinch-hitter for LSU. Nicholas Pontiff, younger brother of former LSU player Wally Pontiff, who passed away a couple of years ago. There's a drive to LF. Home run. We're tied at 9-9. Ouch.
7:10 - Todd is having trouble throwing strikes. He walks the first batter in the B8. Ball 1 to the next batter. Here comes Tanner. Craig Thomas is the new pitcher for USC. Tying run at the plate.
7:02 - Base hit to LF for Disher!! Darnell scores. It's 9-7 USC. USC is 25-0 this season when scoring 6+ runs. Big run right there. 4-3 for third out. We go to the B8 with USC ahead, 9-7.
7:00 - Smoak rips a 1-out single to RCF. He has three hits and two walks today. Darnell FC 4-6. E6 on the throw. Darnell at second, 2 outs. Disher up. Here comes to LSU coach. He leaves.
6:55 - Todd finally gets out of it with a K. But the damnage is done with 4 runs inthe B7. That gives the Tigers 7 runs in the last 2 inning. What looked like a laugher 2 innings ago is now a tight game at 8-7. USC will have to hang on right here. They need a couple of runs.
6:45 - Todd walks the first batter. Now there's a base hit to LF. Run scores. It's 8-4 USC. Tying run in the on-deck circle. It's a little wet out there with a light rain falling. 3-0 on the next batter. Strike. There's a base hit to RF. Run scores. Here comes the throw. It's cutoff by Smoak. They have the runner caught up between first and second. The ball is thrown away!! Run scores. Batter goes to third. There's a SF to lF. It's 8-7 USC.
6:40 - We've reached the 7th inning stretch. USC leads 8-3. Atwood back for the B7. I'm a little surprised by that. But a LH batter leads off. 4-3 for first out. Todd warming up in the bullpen. Walk. Here comes Tanner. He calls for Todd. Runner on 1st, 1 out here in the B7.
6:35 - Lail leads off the T7. There's a drive to deep LF. It's gone!!! Big blast for Lail. USC now leads 8-3. They get one of the runs back. First HR by Lail since April 13th. Good timing there. It took back some of LSU's momentum.
6:32 - LSU batter reaches out and pokes a double past first base. Brandon Todd warming up in the bullpen. Here comes Tanner. Atwood stays in because Todd isn't ready. Atwood needs to get out of this inning without any further damage. 4-3f or third out. We've probably seen the last of Atwood. We go to the T7 with USC leading 7-3.
6:30 - Walk and single for LSU to open the B6. Tunenrs on 1&3. Atwood has a jam here. There's a 4-6-3 DP. Run scores. It's 7-1 USC. That was huge. I don't think USC is too concerned about that run. They need outs. Double to LCF. There's a long blast to LF. It's gone. 2-run HR. USC now leads 7-3.
6:20 - Darnell 4-3. Disher up. He's K's three times today. There's a base hit to LF. Good to see Disher get the bat on the ball. When he connects, he's fine. It's always been a question of making contact. Crisp up. F-7. We go to the B6 with USC ahead 7-0.
6:15 - There's a MAMMOTH Home run by Smoak to LF!!! That was DEEP over the wall. Give Smoak 57 career HR for the Goose Creek native. Wow. USC leads 7-0. New pitcher for LSU. USC has 2 HR today. Looking good for the Gamecocks today.
6:05 - That's a U-6 for the putout at 2B and Havens is charged with an error allowing the batter to advance to second. Atwood goes full to Mitchell, the No. 9 hitter. Atwood buries a fastball on the inside corner for strike three. 2 outs. F-7 for the 3rd out. We go to the T6 with USC leading 6-0.
6:03 - Some controversy here. LSU had a runners on 1st and a bouncer went to Havens over the mound. It looks like havens touched second. The umpires are conferring. Runner is out. But Havens made a bad throw to first and the batter ends up at second. Bottom line, LSU has a runner at secind with 1 out. The LSU ciach is still arguing. Now he goes back to the dugout.
5:58 - Check swing groundout to first for Havens. We go to the B5 with USC leading 6-0 thanks to the solo HR by Wingo in the 6th. USC has outhit LSU, 7-2, to this point.
5:50 - Lails leads off the T5. F-8. Enders up. X-3. Wingo up. There's a drive to deep LF! It's outta here!! Wow! Wingo has 4 HR in the last 8 games. Solo job. USC now leads 6-0. Wingo has 5 HR on the year. New pitcher for USC with Havens up.
5:45 - 1-out single in B4 snaps Atwood's string of retiring 8 LSU batters in a row. F-8 for the second out. Wild pitch. Runner on 2nd, 2 outs. Strikeout. LSU is done in the B4. USC leads 5-0 as we go to the T5. Great performance by Atwood thus far. He's allowed only 2 hits. LSU has had only 1 runner reach third base.
5:40 - Crisp goes 2-2 with the bases full. Foul. A train roars by as Crisp pops to short. Wasted opportunity for USC there. But they still lead 5-0 as we go to the B4.
5:37 - Smoak walks for the second time. He has 38 BB on the year. Darnell up. He had a SF last time. Darnell walks. Bases full for Disher, who's K'd twice. Tanner has a word for him as hs strolls to the plate. Disher has 2 K's today. He needs to make contact here. But he falls behind 0-2. Swings at a curve ball about 2 feet outside. Swing and a miss. Strike three. Bad at-bat right there. 2 outs for Crisp.
5:35 - With 1 out, Merrifield is hit by a pitch for the second time. He now has 4 HBP this season. There's a runner on base for Smoak, who is 1-for-1 with a walk and RBI. Tanner's decision to switch Smoak and Darnell in the order has worked splendidly.
5:30 - Another 1-23-3 inning for Atwood in the B3. That's 7 in a row for Atwood. We go to the T4 with USC leading 5-0.
5:25 - Infield single for Wingo with 2 outs in the T3. But he's quickly thrown out stealing. We go to the B3 with USC leading 5-0.
5:18: 2 well hit balls for LSU in the B2 but they're nothing but noisy outs. Atwood works 1-2-3 inning. We go to the T3 with USC leading 5-0.
5:10 - Darnell jumped on a pitch and lines it to LF. But it's caught. SF. Run scores. It's 5-0 USC. That's his 57th RBI. Disher K's for the second time. Runners on 1&2, 2 outs. Crisp up. Nice play by the LSU SS toi snag the liner over 2B. We go to the B2 with USC ahead, 5-0.
5:05 - Smoak walks. Bases loaded, 0 outs. Here comes the LSU manager. That's it for Jordan Brown, who came in with decent numbers. Ne wpitcher is Nolan Cain, who is 0-0 with a 2.38 ERA. He's allowed just 4 hits in 11.1 IP but he's also hit four batters and walked eight, so he's struggled with his control.
5:00 - USC is set up for another bis inning. Havens walks and Merrifield hit by pitch. Smoak up. Wild pitch! Way outside!! Runners at 2&3. 0 outs.
4:55 - Nice play by Darnell at 3B for the 5-4 FC for the third out. The ball was hard hit. That's the type of defense you need to win ball games. The 2-out walk doesn't cost Atwood except he had to throw a few more pitches. We go to the T2 with USC leading 4-0.
4:50 - Atwood fans the first 2 batters in the B1. But then he issues a 2-out walk. LSU's cleanup hitter is up. Base hit to CF. Runners at 1&3, 2 outs. Those 2-out walks will haunt you!
4:45 - Base hit for Enders to LF! Crisp scores. It's 4-0 USC. Here comes the LSU coach. Great way to begin for the Gamecocks. They're coming up with big hits today unlike last night. Wingo U-3 for the third out. 9 batters come to the plate. USC leads 4-0 as we go to the B1.
4:42 - Disher K's. 2 outs. Crisp out. Tanner moved up up to 6th in the lineup and dropped Lail to 7th. Let's see if the move pays immediate dividends. Yes! Infield single by Crisp. Bases loaded for Lail. He's been struggling but this would be a big spot for him. He bloops one to LF on the first pitch. It falls in!! 2 runs score. It's 3-0 USC. Great start for the Gamecocks! Enders up.
4:40 - Darnell bounces one into the hole. The LSU SS throws to 2nd. It's a bad throw!! Smoak is safe. Runners at 1&2, 1 out for Disher.
4:35 - Merrfield lines to RF. Havens doesn't advance. Smoak up. base hit to CF! Here comes Havens. He scores. It's 1-0 USC. Smoak extends hitting streak to 18 games nd picks up his 185th career RBi. That puts him alone in 4th place on USC's all-time list. Any moment now, I expect Smoak will put up four fingers for the crowd just like Harley Lail did at Clemson.
4:30 - We're underway at Baton Rouge. Havens fouls the first pitch off. There's a shot over 1B. It's a fair ball!! Double for Havens. That's a 14-game hitting streak for Havens and his 10th 2B of the year.
4:20 - It's stopped raining here in BR. The tarp is being pulled off the field. The projected start time is 4:30 p.m.
4:00 - Just as the clock hits the hour, it starts raining here in Baton Rouge. The LSU coach is talking with the umpires. The crowd is scrambling to cover. The tarp is going back on the field. We have a delay here in BR.
3:58 - We're getting ready for baseball here at Alex Box Stadium. The umpires are meeting with the coaches. This is a big game for USC. They can't afford to fall behind UGA any further and the SEC East is a mess with four teams at 10 or 11 wins.
:35 - We've been told the game will start at the scheduled time of 4 p.m. The tarp is being pulled off the field. They just announced Glenn Dorsey was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
3:30 - Although it's not raining, they're putting the tarp on the field. I see the LSU coach down talkign with Ray Tanner down on the field. It's overcast in BR and the wind is whipping pretty good towards left field. Right now, the game is still scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET.
3:15 - Here is USC's starting lineup for Saturday's Game 2 of the LSU series with current statistics:
Havens - 6 (.393-12-42)
Merrifield - 8 (.304-3-20)
Smoak - 3 (.390-17-49)
Darnell - 5 (.313-13-56)
Disher - DH (.291-14-42)
Crisp - 7 (.311-1-13)
Lail - 9 (.259-3-19)
Enders - 2 (.255-5-22)
Wingo - 4 (.206-4-11)
Atwood - P (4-2, 4.02 ERA, 47.0 IP, 37 hits, 24 runs, 38 K, 21 BB, .227 OBA)
The biggest change is Tanner has, not surprisingly, switched Crisp and Lail in the batting order. Crisp has hit the ball well this season, while Lail, along with Enders, are slumping. Conversely, Merrifield is red hot with a .487 average (15 for 31) over the last 8 games.
3:00 - We're here for today's Game 2 of the USC-LSU series at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. USC is taking batting practice right now. Will Atwood will start for USC today. He's 4-2 with 4.02 ERA in 47.0 IP with 37 hits, 24 runs, 38 K's and 21 BB. We should have USC's starting lineup shortly. If you're concerned about USC's ability to rebound, here's a stat for you: USC has lost four games this season by 6+ runs. They're 4-0 in the following game. So, I expect the Gamecocks to come out today and play great baseball. On March 28, USC lost 15-3 to UK in the opening game, but won the next two games.
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8:30 - U-3. Smoak had to leap to get it. 1 out. Runner on 2B. Runner steals third!! Winning run 90 feet away. IBB here. Runners at 1&3 now. 1 out. Grounder to Wingo. He can't handle it!! LSU wins 11-10. Tough loss for the Gamecocks. They're 11-9 in the SEC.
8:25 - Bangs will try to close it out here. Grounder to Darnell. Low throw. It gets past Smoak! Runner to 2B. Tying run in scoring position. Wild pitch! Runner to third. 0 outs. Infield in. Bloop to LF. Crisp drops the ball! Tying run scores. Winning run on 1B. It's 10-10. LSU didn't waste any time tying it up.
8:20 - Disher 2 hard fouls. 0-2. Disher K's. USC gets a run, but leaves the vases full. WE GO TO THE B11 WITH USC LEADING 10-9.
8:18 - Darnell up. He's 0-for-4 with a SF and BB. 0-2. He lines one towards RF. It's foul by 2-3 feet. That was close. That would have driven in at least 2 runs. 1-2. Ball 2-2. UF beat UGA, 7-2 today in Gainesville. Darnell K's. Foul tip. Catcher hangs on. Disher up.
8:15 - Merrifield sacrifices 5-4. Runners at 2&3, 1 out for Smoak. LDSU will intentionally walk Smoak. That's probably a good decision. Bases full for Darnell. Here comes the LSU coach. Smoak has reached base 7 times today. Darnell up.
8:12 - BASE HIT HAVENS!! Run scores. USC leads 10-9. He ripped that one. Merrifield up. Huge hit by Havens. Now USC needs to add some more.
8:10 - Enders leads off in T11. Line drive single to LF. Wingo up. He'll probably be bunting. Yes, but foul. 1-1 on Wingo. Ball. He's trying to drag bunt. base hit to RF!! Enders to third. USC is in business. Runners at 1&3, 0 out for Havens. Career high 3 hits for Wingo today.
8:05 - Pontiff up. He had the big 2-run HR in the 8th to tie it. Full count. K. We go to the T11 with the score tied at 9-9.
8:00 - We go to the B10 with the score tied at 9-9. In case you've joined us late, USC had a 7-0 in the 6th inning but LSU rallied to force extra innings. X-3 for the first out. X-2 for the second out. Bangs pitching well here.
7:55 - Lail down 1-2. Low. 2-2. Foul. He stays alive. Foul barely. Still 2-2. Another foul. Lail is hanging in. Fighting off pitches. Rips a foul down into the LF corner. That was foul by about 5-10 feet. Another hard foul. Lail has made goo contact the last two swings. He needs to straighten it out. U-5 at third base. 3 outs. We go to the B10 with the score tied at 9-9.
7:52 - Two quick strikes on Crisp. Here comes Tanner for a chat. Back in the box. Ball. Ball 2-2. Foul. Crisp K's. 2 outs. It's up to Lail.
7:50 - Full count on Disher. Pitcher will have to throw a strike here. Disher will be waiting. Foul. Check swing. No! Ump says no swing. Disher walks. Runners on 1&2, 1 out for USC. Crisp up.
7:45 - Darnell swings and misses. Now there's a bunt attempt. Foul. Another foul past 3B. P-6 for the first out. Disher up. He's singled the last 2 times up. Ball. Disher holds up. Umpire signals no swing. Foul off the ankle. Disher comes up limping. Trainer is out.
7:42 - Smoak leads off the T10. USC has 13 hits, LSU 11. There have been 5 HR in this game. Both of LSU's HR's are by pinch-hitters. Smoak rips a single to RF. He's 4-for-4 with 2 BB today. He's reached base 6 times today. Darnell up. No sign of a bunt.
7:38 - 2 outs in the B9. 0-2. Strikeout on 3 pitches. Free baseball here at the Box.
We go to the 10th inning with the score tied at 9-9. Smoak, Darnell, Disher due for USC.
7:35 - Full count on the first LSU batter in B9. Long drive to RF, but foul. Ball. Walk to leadoff batter. Pinch-runner. Will LSU sacrifice here?? He bunts foul. Now he's swinging way. Foul. 0-2. There's a 1-6-3 DP!! 2 outs.
7:30 - Merrifield swings and misses at the first 2 pitches. 0-2. Barely stays alive. Strikeout. We go to the B9 with the score tied at 9-9.
7:25 - We're in the T9 with the score tied at 9-9. Enders singles with 1 out. 5-3 sacrifice by Wingo. Enders to 2B. This sets the stage for Havens. However, LSU will walk him. It will be up to Merrifield.
7:20 - 2-3 sacrifice puts go-ahead run in scoring position for LSU. 2 outs. LSU's No. 3 hitter is up. P-4 for the thir dout. WE GO TO THE 9TH WITH THE SCORE TIED AT 9-9.
7:15 - Single to LF. Go-ahead run at first. Here comes Tanner. He calls for Parker Bangs. Here comes the grounds crew to put some sand on the pitcher's mound. Bangs has to prevent the lead run from scoring here.
7:12 - Wild pitch by Thomas. Runner to 2nd. Still 0 outs in B8. P-6 for the first out. Pinch-hitter for LSU. Nicholas Pontiff, younger brother of former LSU player Wally Pontiff, who passed away a couple of years ago. There's a drive to LF. Home run. We're tied at 9-9. Ouch.
7:10 - Todd is having trouble throwing strikes. He walks the first batter in the B8. Ball 1 to the next batter. Here comes Tanner. Craig Thomas is the new pitcher for USC. Tying run at the plate.
7:02 - Base hit to LF for Disher!! Darnell scores. It's 9-7 USC. USC is 25-0 this season when scoring 6+ runs. Big run right there. 4-3 for third out. We go to the B8 with USC ahead, 9-7.
7:00 - Smoak rips a 1-out single to RCF. He has three hits and two walks today. Darnell FC 4-6. E6 on the throw. Darnell at second, 2 outs. Disher up. Here comes to LSU coach. He leaves.
6:55 - Todd finally gets out of it with a K. But the damnage is done with 4 runs inthe B7. That gives the Tigers 7 runs in the last 2 inning. What looked like a laugher 2 innings ago is now a tight game at 8-7. USC will have to hang on right here. They need a couple of runs.
6:45 - Todd walks the first batter. Now there's a base hit to LF. Run scores. It's 8-4 USC. Tying run in the on-deck circle. It's a little wet out there with a light rain falling. 3-0 on the next batter. Strike. There's a base hit to RF. Run scores. Here comes the throw. It's cutoff by Smoak. They have the runner caught up between first and second. The ball is thrown away!! Run scores. Batter goes to third. There's a SF to lF. It's 8-7 USC.
6:40 - We've reached the 7th inning stretch. USC leads 8-3. Atwood back for the B7. I'm a little surprised by that. But a LH batter leads off. 4-3 for first out. Todd warming up in the bullpen. Walk. Here comes Tanner. He calls for Todd. Runner on 1st, 1 out here in the B7.
6:35 - Lail leads off the T7. There's a drive to deep LF. It's gone!!! Big blast for Lail. USC now leads 8-3. They get one of the runs back. First HR by Lail since April 13th. Good timing there. It took back some of LSU's momentum.
6:32 - LSU batter reaches out and pokes a double past first base. Brandon Todd warming up in the bullpen. Here comes Tanner. Atwood stays in because Todd isn't ready. Atwood needs to get out of this inning without any further damage. 4-3f or third out. We've probably seen the last of Atwood. We go to the T7 with USC leading 7-3.
6:30 - Walk and single for LSU to open the B6. Tunenrs on 1&3. Atwood has a jam here. There's a 4-6-3 DP. Run scores. It's 7-1 USC. That was huge. I don't think USC is too concerned about that run. They need outs. Double to LCF. There's a long blast to LF. It's gone. 2-run HR. USC now leads 7-3.
6:20 - Darnell 4-3. Disher up. He's K's three times today. There's a base hit to LF. Good to see Disher get the bat on the ball. When he connects, he's fine. It's always been a question of making contact. Crisp up. F-7. We go to the B6 with USC ahead 7-0.
6:15 - There's a MAMMOTH Home run by Smoak to LF!!! That was DEEP over the wall. Give Smoak 57 career HR for the Goose Creek native. Wow. USC leads 7-0. New pitcher for LSU. USC has 2 HR today. Looking good for the Gamecocks today.
6:05 - That's a U-6 for the putout at 2B and Havens is charged with an error allowing the batter to advance to second. Atwood goes full to Mitchell, the No. 9 hitter. Atwood buries a fastball on the inside corner for strike three. 2 outs. F-7 for the 3rd out. We go to the T6 with USC leading 6-0.
6:03 - Some controversy here. LSU had a runners on 1st and a bouncer went to Havens over the mound. It looks like havens touched second. The umpires are conferring. Runner is out. But Havens made a bad throw to first and the batter ends up at second. Bottom line, LSU has a runner at secind with 1 out. The LSU ciach is still arguing. Now he goes back to the dugout.
5:58 - Check swing groundout to first for Havens. We go to the B5 with USC leading 6-0 thanks to the solo HR by Wingo in the 6th. USC has outhit LSU, 7-2, to this point.
5:50 - Lails leads off the T5. F-8. Enders up. X-3. Wingo up. There's a drive to deep LF! It's outta here!! Wow! Wingo has 4 HR in the last 8 games. Solo job. USC now leads 6-0. Wingo has 5 HR on the year. New pitcher for USC with Havens up.
5:45 - 1-out single in B4 snaps Atwood's string of retiring 8 LSU batters in a row. F-8 for the second out. Wild pitch. Runner on 2nd, 2 outs. Strikeout. LSU is done in the B4. USC leads 5-0 as we go to the T5. Great performance by Atwood thus far. He's allowed only 2 hits. LSU has had only 1 runner reach third base.
5:40 - Crisp goes 2-2 with the bases full. Foul. A train roars by as Crisp pops to short. Wasted opportunity for USC there. But they still lead 5-0 as we go to the B4.
5:37 - Smoak walks for the second time. He has 38 BB on the year. Darnell up. He had a SF last time. Darnell walks. Bases full for Disher, who's K'd twice. Tanner has a word for him as hs strolls to the plate. Disher has 2 K's today. He needs to make contact here. But he falls behind 0-2. Swings at a curve ball about 2 feet outside. Swing and a miss. Strike three. Bad at-bat right there. 2 outs for Crisp.
5:35 - With 1 out, Merrifield is hit by a pitch for the second time. He now has 4 HBP this season. There's a runner on base for Smoak, who is 1-for-1 with a walk and RBI. Tanner's decision to switch Smoak and Darnell in the order has worked splendidly.
5:30 - Another 1-23-3 inning for Atwood in the B3. That's 7 in a row for Atwood. We go to the T4 with USC leading 5-0.
5:25 - Infield single for Wingo with 2 outs in the T3. But he's quickly thrown out stealing. We go to the B3 with USC leading 5-0.
5:18: 2 well hit balls for LSU in the B2 but they're nothing but noisy outs. Atwood works 1-2-3 inning. We go to the T3 with USC leading 5-0.
5:10 - Darnell jumped on a pitch and lines it to LF. But it's caught. SF. Run scores. It's 5-0 USC. That's his 57th RBI. Disher K's for the second time. Runners on 1&2, 2 outs. Crisp up. Nice play by the LSU SS toi snag the liner over 2B. We go to the B2 with USC ahead, 5-0.
5:05 - Smoak walks. Bases loaded, 0 outs. Here comes the LSU manager. That's it for Jordan Brown, who came in with decent numbers. Ne wpitcher is Nolan Cain, who is 0-0 with a 2.38 ERA. He's allowed just 4 hits in 11.1 IP but he's also hit four batters and walked eight, so he's struggled with his control.
5:00 - USC is set up for another bis inning. Havens walks and Merrifield hit by pitch. Smoak up. Wild pitch! Way outside!! Runners at 2&3. 0 outs.
4:55 - Nice play by Darnell at 3B for the 5-4 FC for the third out. The ball was hard hit. That's the type of defense you need to win ball games. The 2-out walk doesn't cost Atwood except he had to throw a few more pitches. We go to the T2 with USC leading 4-0.
4:50 - Atwood fans the first 2 batters in the B1. But then he issues a 2-out walk. LSU's cleanup hitter is up. Base hit to CF. Runners at 1&3, 2 outs. Those 2-out walks will haunt you!
4:45 - Base hit for Enders to LF! Crisp scores. It's 4-0 USC. Here comes the LSU coach. Great way to begin for the Gamecocks. They're coming up with big hits today unlike last night. Wingo U-3 for the third out. 9 batters come to the plate. USC leads 4-0 as we go to the B1.
4:42 - Disher K's. 2 outs. Crisp out. Tanner moved up up to 6th in the lineup and dropped Lail to 7th. Let's see if the move pays immediate dividends. Yes! Infield single by Crisp. Bases loaded for Lail. He's been struggling but this would be a big spot for him. He bloops one to LF on the first pitch. It falls in!! 2 runs score. It's 3-0 USC. Great start for the Gamecocks! Enders up.
4:40 - Darnell bounces one into the hole. The LSU SS throws to 2nd. It's a bad throw!! Smoak is safe. Runners at 1&2, 1 out for Disher.
4:35 - Merrfield lines to RF. Havens doesn't advance. Smoak up. base hit to CF! Here comes Havens. He scores. It's 1-0 USC. Smoak extends hitting streak to 18 games nd picks up his 185th career RBi. That puts him alone in 4th place on USC's all-time list. Any moment now, I expect Smoak will put up four fingers for the crowd just like Harley Lail did at Clemson.
4:30 - We're underway at Baton Rouge. Havens fouls the first pitch off. There's a shot over 1B. It's a fair ball!! Double for Havens. That's a 14-game hitting streak for Havens and his 10th 2B of the year.
4:20 - It's stopped raining here in BR. The tarp is being pulled off the field. The projected start time is 4:30 p.m.
4:00 - Just as the clock hits the hour, it starts raining here in Baton Rouge. The LSU coach is talking with the umpires. The crowd is scrambling to cover. The tarp is going back on the field. We have a delay here in BR.
3:58 - We're getting ready for baseball here at Alex Box Stadium. The umpires are meeting with the coaches. This is a big game for USC. They can't afford to fall behind UGA any further and the SEC East is a mess with four teams at 10 or 11 wins.
:35 - We've been told the game will start at the scheduled time of 4 p.m. The tarp is being pulled off the field. They just announced Glenn Dorsey was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
3:30 - Although it's not raining, they're putting the tarp on the field. I see the LSU coach down talkign with Ray Tanner down on the field. It's overcast in BR and the wind is whipping pretty good towards left field. Right now, the game is still scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET.
3:15 - Here is USC's starting lineup for Saturday's Game 2 of the LSU series with current statistics:
Havens - 6 (.393-12-42)
Merrifield - 8 (.304-3-20)
Smoak - 3 (.390-17-49)
Darnell - 5 (.313-13-56)
Disher - DH (.291-14-42)
Crisp - 7 (.311-1-13)
Lail - 9 (.259-3-19)
Enders - 2 (.255-5-22)
Wingo - 4 (.206-4-11)
Atwood - P (4-2, 4.02 ERA, 47.0 IP, 37 hits, 24 runs, 38 K, 21 BB, .227 OBA)
The biggest change is Tanner has, not surprisingly, switched Crisp and Lail in the batting order. Crisp has hit the ball well this season, while Lail, along with Enders, are slumping. Conversely, Merrifield is red hot with a .487 average (15 for 31) over the last 8 games.
3:00 - We're here for today's Game 2 of the USC-LSU series at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. USC is taking batting practice right now. Will Atwood will start for USC today. He's 4-2 with 4.02 ERA in 47.0 IP with 37 hits, 24 runs, 38 K's and 21 BB. We should have USC's starting lineup shortly. If you're concerned about USC's ability to rebound, here's a stat for you: USC has lost four games this season by 6+ runs. They're 4-0 in the following game. So, I expect the Gamecocks to come out today and play great baseball. On March 28, USC lost 15-3 to UK in the opening game, but won the next two games.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.