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HOOVER, Ala. — Cole Messina belted a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning and South Carolina held on to defeat Arkansas 6-5 on the first day of double-elimination play at the SEC Tournament. No. 10 seed South Carolina advances to play No. 11 LSU on Thursday. Second-seeded Arkansas will face third-seeded Kentucky in the loser's bracket. South Carolina led 4-2 through six innings before Arkansas tied it in the bottom of the seventh. Peyton Stovall drove in one run with a double, then a sacrifice fly by Ben McLaughlin tied it at 4. In the top of the ninth, Blake Jackson was hit by a pitch, then Messina blasted the first pitch deep to center field for a 6-4 lead. It was his second home run of the game, giving him five RBIs.
