HOOVER, Ala. — Steven Milam hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to rally LSU to a 12-11 victory over South Carolina after Tigers' head coach Jay Johnson was ejected in the top of the inning in a wild semifinal at the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Saturday.
LSU (40-20) has won seven in a row and advances to the championship game on Sunday after entering the tourney as the 11th seed. The Tigers will play the winner of the other semifinal game between top seed Tennessee and eighth-seeded Vanderbilt.
South Carolina (36-23), the 10th seed, beat No. 3 seed Kentucky 6-5 on Friday to advance. The Gamecocks lost 11-10 to LSU on Thursday thanks to Michael Braswell III's two-run single in the ninth inning.
The Gamecocks scored the first eight runs of the game.
Talmadge LeCroy drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Dalton Reeves hit a three-run homer in the third and Parker Noland's two-run single capped a four-run fourth.
LSU answered with six runs in its half of the fourth.
The Tigers knocked out Gamecocks starter Roman Kimball, who left after allowing a run and leaving the bases loaded. Drake Quinn took over and walked the first batter he faced — Jared Jones — to force in a run. Josh Pearson followed with a two-run single and Hayden Travinski singled in Jones with Pearson also scoring on an error on left fielder Dylan Brewer.
South Carolina led 10-6 heading to the bottom of the sixth before Jones led off with a solo homer. Ashton Larson had a sac fly and Braswell hit a two-out solo shot to get the Tigers within 10-9 after seven.
LSU scored the tying run in the ninth off reliever Garrett Gainey after Ethan Frey led off with a pinch-hit double. Alex Milazzo laid down a sacrifice bunt that Gamecocks third baseman Lee Ellis threw away, allowing pinch-runner Paxton Kling to score.
Johnson was ejected after the Gamecocks took a one-run lead in the top of the 10th on a catcher's interference call followed by a balk. Milam's game-winning shot came after Travinski drew a leadoff walk from Gainey (1-4).
