Game 1: #2 LSU 5, #7 South Carolina 4 (10 inn.)
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) -- Blake Dean hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to cap a late comeback and give LSU a 5-4 victory over South Carolina Wednesday in the opening game of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.
With the victory, the Tigers (40-16-1) extended their winning streak to 17 games. LSU has not lost since April 19.
Jared Bradford (10-4) pitched a scoreless 10th inning after giving up a leadoff walk to get the win for the Tigers.
LSU trailed 4-0 entering the bottom of the ninth. But two walks set up a three-run homer by Matt Clark off Will Atwood, cutting the lead to 4-3.
With two outs in the ninth, Ryan Schimpf blooped a hit that barely landed inside the left-field line, allowing D.J. LeMahieu to score from first base and send the game into extra innings.
Dean sealed the victory an inning later by sending a 2-0 pitch from Alex Farotto (0-1) over the right-field fence.
The Gamecocks (37-20) were in control for much of the game, thanks to freshman pitcher Sam Dyson, who allowed only two hits over 6 2/3 innings.
Dyson gave up a leadoff single in the second inning, then did not allow another hit until the seventh. He was pulled after giving up a two-out triple to LeMahieu in the seventh.
South Carolina broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when Phil Disher blasted a solo home run just to the right of the 405-foot marker in straightway center field. It was Disher's 17th homer of the season.
The Gamecocks extended their lead to 3-0 in the sixth when Harley Lail delivered a two-run single to left field with two outs and the bases loaded. South Carolina added another run in the top of the ninth when DeAngelo Mack scored on a single by Reese Havens.
South Carolina Quotes
SOUTH CAROLINA HEAD COACH RAY TANNER
On the game... "It was an incredible comeback by LSU. We got a tremendous outing by Sam Dyson, and we looked pretty sharp in the early going. We ended up walking two LSU guys and it came back to haunt us. LSU came into this game winning 16 in a row and I think that tells you how good of a team this club is. LSU never gave in today and kept the game within striking distance and finally came up with a couple big homeruns."
On losing the leads late in the game this season... "You never want to give up leads late in the game and I hate to see that. We pitched pretty good in this game but our bullpen came out and missed some pitches that really hurt us. Then (LSU's) Ryan Schimpf kept the ball in fair territory after we got two strokes on him. Had we been able to pick that ball up we might have been able to keep one of those runs held on third."
On LSU... "When you win 16 in a row then you begin to feel like you can win any game. We scored an extra run in the top of the ninth, but apparently we needed more runs than that. After the three-run homer, we were one strike away from ending the game. I am disappointed but we have to give LSU credit. I know our guys played hard but LSU came up with a tremendous comeback today."
SAM DYSON, PITCHER
On the game... "We played really well at the beginning of the game. We came up on the short end today."
LSU Quotes
LSU HEAD COACH PAUL MAINIERI
Opening comment... "It was an amazing comeback. It was probably one of the best I have witnessed as a coach. I felt bad for Ray Tanner and his team because they played their hearts out. (Sam) Dyson played absolutely awesome. We couldn't get any swings against him. No one has really shut us down like that all year. Fortunately we had a good break in the game with a couple of walks by Blake Dean and Micah Gibbs, who set the stage for Clark. He put one of the best swings on the ball that I ever witnessed. He got us back in the game."
On what he told team in the bottom of the ninth... "I told them to get runs. My job is not that big anymore. This is a self-motivated team. They believe. They believe in each other. They know how to win. So I liked our chances in the game. The don't need any motivation.
On the win streak... "I always say that luck residues from design. We had some bad breaks, but we were doing that to ourselves. We have to make our own breaks. This has been exciting, so I hope it keeps going. It's been fun."
BLAKE DEAN, OUTFIELD/DESIGNATED HITTER
On the game... "We started off sluggish. It wasn't like usual, but we believe in each other. We know that if one person doesn't get it done, then the one coming behind him will. Coach always tells us to play the full game. So we played all nine innings. We just kept battling and battling.
MATT CLARK, FIRST BASEMAN
On the game... "It was unbelievable. We knew that anything could happen."
RYAN SCHMIPF, SECOND BASEMAN
"I'm glad we got the win. It was scary. We weren't getting any hits. We knew that we couldn't let our confidence level get down. We had to keep fighting. We just had to plug away, and we got a big win."
Game Notes
Game 2: #6 Vanderbilt 7, #3 Florida 3
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) -- Vanderbilt hit 14 singles and ground out a 7-3 victory over Florida Wednesday in the first round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.
The victory snapped the Commodores' five-game losing streak, which was their longest in SEC play since 2003. Vanderbilt (38-18) had closed the regular season by being swept in a three-game series against the Gators (34-21).
Leading the Commodores were Andrew Giobbi and Steven Liddle, who both went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Jonathan White and Dominic de la Osa had two hits each and David Macias had two RBI on a hit and a sacrifice fly.
Vanderbilt put at least one man on base in each of the first six innings in building a 6-1 lead off Florida starter Patrick Keating (8-1).
The Commodores took the lead for good with three runs in the second inning. Their scoring was the result of three singles, a sacrifice bunt, a fielder's choice and a Florida error.
The small ball continued in the fourth inning, as Vanderbilt parlayed two singles, a walk and a double-play into another run and a 5-1 lead.
That was all that Vandy starter Mike Minor (6-3) would need as he picked up the victory.
Florida was led offensively by Brandon McArthur, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Vanderbilt advances to play LSU at 5 p.m. CDT Thursday. Florida will take on South Carolina at 10 a.m. CDT Thursday in a tournament elimination game.
Florida Quotes
FLORIDA HEAD COACH KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
On the game... "First of all I want to congratulate Vanderbilt and the great game they played. They got an early lead on us and kept tacking on runs. They made it very difficult for us to get back into the game. The thing that made us successful last weekend was that we were able to come up with that one pitch or one hit when we needed to and we didn't do that today. We struggled today and left 14 men on base. We have to tip our hat to Vanderbilt's pitchers because they made big pitches when they had to and that was the biggest difference in the game."
On leaving guys on base... "You have to tip your hat to their pitchers. They made pitches when they had to. For example in the ninth inning we had some runners on base with two balls then Vanderbilt fights its way back into the count by throwing good pitches. If they didn't make pitches then we probably have more hits and win the ballgame."
PATRICK KEATING, PITCHER
On the game... "I didn't do enough to get us the win today. I didn't work ahead in the count as much as I needed to and it seemed like every time I walked someone I would give up a groundball through the hole on the next batter. I didn't string enough good pitches together to get the job done today."
BRANDON MCARTHUR, FIRST BASEMAN
On the game... "Like coach said, we didn't get the clutch hits that we needed to today."
Vanderbilt Quotes
VANDERBILT HEAD COACH TIM CORBIN
Opening comments... "It's a win, and for us that's big because we had a tough weekend at Florida last weekend. The first two innings were clutch for us, especially the second inning. It got the players loosened up and gained some momentum. I thought Mike Minor did well against a team that is very disciplined at the plate. They really make you throw strikes. When they are successful, they get you really deep into the pitch count. But we really pieced it together. It was a good start."
On Florida... "All I've ever heard about Florida is that they are a pesky team. They make you put the ball into play. They make you pitch. You have to get into the bullpen. You have to make them him. I thought Mike Minor did well. I had a good feeling about this game, just a good presence."
On the first game win in the tournament... "You get to stay in the winner's bracket. It's the difference between playing four games and six games. We have done both, and I like the first option. I like to stay in the winner's bracket. We like being here in Birmingham. The kids are comfortable in this park."
MIKE MINOR, PITCHER
On Florida... "They are a good hitting team. They are very well-disciplined. They made my pitch count go up, but overall I thought it was a good day for both teams. We had to work really hard today."
DOMINIC DE LA OSA, RIGHT FIELDER
On the game... "I thought it was a good game. It was good to get started on the winning side. We're playing a really good team tomorrow."
On the field... "It's a really big park. It's similar to ours. You have to hit a lot of line drives and keep the ball low. You don't want it to go into the air. You have to hustle after the ball is hit in the outfield. It's difficult to stop doubles and triples in the outfields."
Game 3: #8 Ole Miss 4, #1 Georgia 1
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) -- Ole Miss starter Lance Lynn tied his career high with 12 strikeouts to help lead the Rebels to a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Georgia on Wednesday in the first round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.
The Rebels (35-22) provided Lynn with all the run support he would need in the top of the first when Cody Overbeck lined a two-run single to left field, giving Ole Miss a quick 2-0 lead against Georgia starter Nick Montgomery (2-2).
Lynn (7-3) took over from there. He retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, four by strikeout. Through the fifth inning he had allowed only one player to reach as far as second base.
The Rebels stretched their lead to 3-0 in the fourth on a controversial home run by Michael Guerrero. The ball appeared to be foul as it flew past the left-field pole but was ruled a home run, prompting a lengthy protest from Georgia coach David Perno.
Georgia (35-20-1) finally got to Lynn in the sixth. Ryan Peisel singled, advanced to second on a walk and then scored on a single to right field by Robbie O
That was all the Bulldogs could manage against Lynn, who gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings. Scott Bittle replaced Lynn and allowed a walk and two hits over the final 2 1/3 innings to earn his eighth save.
Georgia Quotes
GEORGIA HEAD COACH DAVID PERNO
Opening comment... "I thought we pitched pretty well tonight, but we just got beat by two All-SEC players. They were both tremendous and played very well. We played a pretty good game but we couldn't get to them tonight. We had some opportunities offensively but never got that big hit to get over the hump."
On the homerun... "It was just one of those things that happen. It was tough timing for us because we felt like we were starting to get a little momentum but that settled the game down and turned away some of our momentum."
NICK MONTGOMERY, PITCHER
On the game... "I had a some problems getting my control in the first inning. Once I got comfortable, I was able to get more in the zone."
RYAN PEISEL, THIRD BASEMAN
On the game... "They jumped out early on us and rode their ace pitcher. He (Lance Lynn) is pretty good and had great control tonight. He had his curve ball and his fastball working and when you have a guy like that who is getting things going then it is going to be a tough night. When they jumped out early we knew it was going to be a battle. Our pitchers fought hard for us but they came out and did what they needed to do tonight."
Ole Miss Quotes
OLE MISS HEAD COACH MIKE BIANCO
Opening comments... "It was a great game. It was very well played and clean. The difference of the game was Lance Lynn. He was tremendous and just dominated. What was different for him was that we scored in the first. I can't even remember the last time that Lance pitched with a lead. Once he had the lead, it seemed that he could make pitch after pitch. They had few opportunities. He looked like the vintage Lance Lynn. One of the reasons Lance is so special is that he is able to make the pitch when it is on the line."
On Lance Lynn's fastball and performance... "It looked like it had more life. He was able to it by hitters with two strikes. Some of those balls got elevated, and you could just tell that they had more life. He certainly had a good fastball tonight, but I think one of the reasons he is so good is his breaking ball. Some of them may not have been in the strike zone, but they were competitive, which puts a lot of frustration on the hitter. He was able to throw the curve and slider tonight, so that makes a difference."
LANCE LYNN, PITCHER
On his performance... "It was just one of those nights where it felt like everything was working. It was a good night to have everything working because they are a very good ballclub. For me to come out and pitch like that, especially against the number one seed, it was great. It was a good night for us to play well. It was a good win for us."
SCOTT BITTLE, PITCHER
On his performance... "I just tried to come in and follow big guy here. I just tried to get ahead of guys and keep them off base."
JORDAN HENRY, OUTFIELDER
On the game... "It was a big win. We wanted to be able to get out early and get on the board early. We just kept our confidence in our pitchers."
Game 4: #4 Kentucky 9, #5 Alabama 3
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) -- Chris McClendon went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Aaron Lovett settled down after a shaky start to pitch a complete game as Kentucky defeated Alabama 9-3 in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament in a game that went into early Thursday morning.
The Crimson Tide (32-25) opened the game with four consecutive singles off Lovett (5-1) to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats (42-15) answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning, both unearned due to a two-out error by Alabama shortstop Josh Rutledge.
Tyler Odle's towering home run to right field in the second inning put Alabama back on top 3-2. Kentucky answered with a tying run in the fourth on an RBI double by Brian Spear.
The Wildcats broke the game open over the next two innings, scoring two runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to take a 9-3 lead. Both of their fifth-inning runs came with two outs, while three of their runs in the sixth were unearned following another Alabama error.
Lovett struck out 12 Alabama batters in the game and surrendered only four hits after the first inning.
Jimmy Nelson (3-3) gave up five hits and five runs - three earned in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss for Alabama.
Kentucky will play Ole Miss in the second round in a game scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Thursday. Alabama will play top-seeded Georgia beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday in an elimination game.
Alabama Quotes
ALABAMA HEAD COACH JIM WELLS
Opening comment... "I was surprised to look up at the scoreboard and see that both teams have the same number of hits but they have six more runs. We just can't do this. I know last week we had a lot of runs, but this is uncharacteristic of us. We played poorly in an phases of the games."
On the quick game turnaround... "They're young. They will come back and play better. It will be an even kill. Sometimes we are too emotional and get worked up, and that can go against you."
ALEX AVILA, CATCHER
On the game... "I was a little surprised. We have been playing well these past couple of weeks. We just didn't play well today, and sometimes that happens. We just have to go out tomorrow and play better."
Kentucky Quotes
KENTUCKY HEAD COACH JOHN COHEN
On Alabama's quick start... "They got off to a quick start and we have been letting teams do that all year. It is not something that happened just because of tournament play but our guys have battled back from being down all season."
On playing late games... "It is not ideal but it is something that is going to happen in tournament play like this. I don't know what the alternatives are without giving someone a tremendous advantage or disadvantage. We have to play four games on the first couple of days and the SEC does a tremendous job of making this tournament work."