http://www.lsusports.net/article.cfm?ref=000920E5-911F-1CB7-911F809F187EFD7F Mestepey, Tigers Open Series With 8-2 Win Over Dawgs 04/12/02 BATON ROUGE -- LSU overcame an early 2-0 deficit with the help of three home runs as the Fighting Tigers won their sixth game in seven tries with an 8-2 victory over Southeastern Conference rival Georgia Friday night at Alex Box Stadium. LSU (22-13, 6-6) will look to clinch the series from the SEC East Division leading Bulldogs (18-12, 8-5) Saturday at 2 p.m. LSU has now hit seven home runs in its last two games after hitting more than two in a game just once in its 33 games. The Tigers hit a season high four home runs in their 9-5 win over Tulane on Wednesday in front of an NCAA record crowd of 27,673 at the Superdome. Georgia got six hits in the first three innings off of LSU starting pitcher Lane Mestepey, but thanks to baserunning mistakes, the Bulldogs could realize just two runs. The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the second when Justin McClain singled home David Coffey, then Georgia got the first two runners on in the third when LSU first baseman Jason Columbus dropped a throw from Aaron Hill on Jon Armitage's ground ball and Chaz Lytle singled. Mestepey worked a 1-1 count to Marshall Szabo when Chris Phillips fired to third to pick off Armitage. Then before he threw another pitch, Mestepey got Lytle hung up between first and second for the second out of the inning. Szabo and Lee Mitchell would line back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, then Josh Cavender grounded a base hit between shortstop and third to score Szabo for a 2-0 lead. Mestepey avoided further damage by getting Adam Swann to fly out to end the frame. Hill began LSU's comeback with a double in the third, and he would score the Tigers' first run two batters later on Sean Barker's base hit. A walk to Matt Heath and a double by Jason Columbus put two runners in scoring position to start the LSU fourth, and Phillips tied the game at 2-2 when his sacrifice fly sent Heath plateward. LSU then took the lead for good when left fielder Jon Zeringue launched a rocket over the left field bleachers for his first career home run to make it 4-2. Hill would add his team leading fifth homer of the year two batters later to stretch the lead to 5-2. Columbus, who had five hits prior to getting his first home run on Wednesday against Tulane, gave LSU a 7-2 lead with a two-run double in the fifth, his fourth hit in the last two games. That support would be more than enough for Metsepey, who gave up just three hits over the final six innings for his third complete game of the year and improve to 7-2. Georgia starter Mickey Westphal gave up seven runs on nine hits in five innings to fall to 3-1.
