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The march to the Men's College World Series officially got underway with the start of the 2024 SEC baseball tournament on Tuesday.
Eight teams took center stage in Hoover, Alabama, for the first round, with the No. 5 through No. 12 seeds facing off in single-elimination games. The top four seeds, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas A&M, all have first-round byes.
The tournament shifts to a double-elimination format when the second round begins on Wednesday, so Tuesday's winners are guaranteed to keep their season alive for at least two more games.
Here's a look at how things played out in the first round.
SEC Baseball Tournament Results - Tuesday, May 21
No. 11 LSU def. No. 6 Georgia, 9-1
No. 10 South Carolina def. No. 7 Alabama, 10-5
No. 8 Vanderbilt def. No. 9 Florida, 6-3
No. 5 Mississippi State def. No 12. Ole Miss, 2-1
Wednesday, May 22
No. 11 LSU vs. No. 3 Kentucky (10:30 a.m. ET)
No. 10 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Arkansas (2 p.m. ET)
No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. No. 1 Tennessee (5:30 p.m. ET)
No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 4 Texas A&M (9 p.m. ET)
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All games televised on SEC Network and live-streamed on the ESPN app.
LSU 9, Georgia 1
LSU is facing an uphill battle to defend its 2023 Men's College World Series title, but it started its quest in a big way with a dominant win over Georgia.
The Tigers scored early and often, plating two runs in the first inning and never looking back. Left fielder Josh Pearson was responsible for the team's first three runs over the first two innings.
LSU added two runs in the fifth inning on RBI singles by second baseman Steven Milam and catcher Alex Milazzo. Milam followed up with a solo homer in the ninth inning that extended the Tigers' lead to 7-1.
LSU starter Gage Jump was lights-out on Tuesday, throwing seven innings while allowing one earned run and four hits and notching seven strikeouts.
The Tigers will face third-seeded Kentucky in the first game of Wednesday's slate.
South Carolina 10, Alabama 5
Things looked bleak for South Carolina when it faced an early three-run deficit against Alabama, but the Gameco*cks put on a display of power that helped them rally and advance to the second round.
The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the second inning, and that's when the lights show began. The Gameco*cks posted six runs in the third inning thanks to solo home runs by third baseman Gavin Casas and first baseman Ethan Petry followed by a grand slam by designated hitter Dalton Reeves.
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Alabama managed to keep things close with two runs in the fourth inning, but South Carolina catcher Cole Messina provided some separation with a solo homer in the fifth and a two-run double in the sixth.
Gameco*cks right-hander Chris Veach pitched 5.2 shutout innings in relief with just three hits allowed and six strikeouts.
South Carolina will face a tough test against No. 2 Arkansas on Wednesday.
Vanderbilt 6, Florida 3
Make it three wins in four games for Vanderbilt against Florida this season.
The Commodores continued their winning ways against the Gators, beating them 6-3 behind strong offensive days from Matthew Polk and Braden Holcomb, who each finished with two RBI.
Calvin Hewett added a solo shot in the win:
Bryce Cunningham earned the win on the mount, giving up five hits without a run or any walks across six innings. He struck out six.
The Commodores will now face Tennessee in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday.
Mississippi State 2, Ole Miss 1
The last game of Tuesday's action was a close one as Mississippi State snuck away with a 2-1 win over Ole Miss.
Will Furniss put the Rebels up 1-0 with a home run in the top of the fifth inning before Ole Miss blew the slim lead in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Bulldogs snagged an exciting walk-off victory courtesy of a Connor Hujsak two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth:
Brooks Auger was also tremendous on the mound for Mississippi State, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out 13 batters in the win.
Mississippi State will now face No. 4 Texas A&M on Wednesday.
