4/7/2023 baseball Edit

Dugas, Beloso and Guidry rally No. 1 LSU to comeback win at South Carolina

Ron Higgins • Death Valley Insider

Columnist

As is the case as it has been through most of his LSU baseball playing career, the game’s not over until Tigers’ grad student second baseman Gavin Dugas says it’s over.

Just this season, he already owned a game-winning three-run ninth inning homer in a 3-0 victory at Texas.

Last week Dugas broke the ice in the opening game of the Tennessee series with a two-run homer in the fourth for a 2-1 lead in an eventual 5-2 victory. Then in the game two 6-4 LSU win, he hit a lead-taking solo homer in the fourth and scored the last run in the sixth after leading off with a double.

His junior and senior seasons littered with late-inning game-tying or game-winning homers.

It’s why there was nobody LSU head coach Jay Johnson would have rather have at the plate Friday in the eighth inning at South Carolina to resuscitate a Tigers’ team four outs away from dropping its first SEC series of the season.

Dugas whacked a two-out first-pitch grand slam to tie the game at 7-7, setting the stage for designated hitter Cade Beloso’s game-winning RBI single in the top of the ninth and freshman reliever Gavin Guidry victory-clinching hurling for an 8-7 LSU win.

Guidry (2-0) allowed no runs on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts in the final 1.2 innings. With South Carolina runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Guidry struck out pinch hitter Caleb Denny to end the game.

“What our guys do best is stick together,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson, “so I’m really not surprised this happened. It’s a testament to them, both in their ability and their heart. That’s why we’re ranked No. 1. What you just saw in that game, along with talent, is why we’re the No. 1 team in the nation.”

The Gamecocks led the entire way until LSU put together its two-out rally in the eighth. The Tigers now have scored 102 runs this season with two outs.

LSU’s three homers in the game from Dugas and fourth inning solo shots from third baseman Tommy White and shortstop Jordan Thompson all came on first pitches.