TWINSGibsons performance was exactly what the Twins needed after the humbling results

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The athletic prowess of senior Dessaa Legros has been known to Gamecock faithful for years, but on Friday night the outside hitter turned in an all-time great performance to help guide South Carolina (15-6, 3-6 SEC) to a win over LSU (7-14, 2-8 SEC). Legros hit a career-high 26 kills with a .429 hitting percentage to will the team to a four-set win over the Tigers (25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23).1st Set: The opening game was all about the offense for South Carolina, as the team combined for a .394 hitting percentage and 18 kills to win 25-20. Legros had five kills, but it was actually Mikayla Shields who stole the show early on. The freshman had six kills on just seven swings to power the attack, and LSU was unable to stop the Gamecocks barrage from the wings. The Tigers were able to tie the set up at 16, but a 4-0 run from there broke the suspense for Carolina, who pulled away from there.2nd Set: Both teams slugged it in the second set, but LSU was able to hang on for the equalizer before halftime. The Tigers out-hit Carolina .342 to .325 and saw outside hitter Toni Rodriguez complete the set with seven kills. There would be nine total ties, but South Carolina just wasnt able to get the run it needed to pressure LSU. Legros and Atoa-Williams finished with five kills in the game, but it would be 1-1 heading into the break after a 25-23 win for the visitors.3rd Set: The third set would be even more contentious, as the two teams battled for the all-important 2-1 lead. There were four lead changes and 11 ties in the third, but the unstoppable force that was Dessaa Legros powered the Gamecocks to a 25-22 win. The senior had an eye-popping nine kills in the set, hitting .615, and many would come early on as the two sides jockeyed for a lead. South Carolina held a 15-12 lead at the media timeout, but LSU ran off six of the next eight points in the game to take an 18-17 lead and force the Gamecocks into a timeout. Out of the break, Aubrey Ezell served tough and forced a pair of over passes that were killed by Carolina. That would be all the momentum needed as the home side held on for the win.4th Set: Looking to close out the win, South Carolina rode the right arm of Legros for one more set - and she would deliver seven more kills. The Gamecocks used a 5-1 run to break a 10-all tie, and held the Tigers at an arms length the rest of the way. Though LSU would tie things up late in the frame, at 21 and 22, they would not take the lead after that early run. A kill from none other than Legros broke the deadlock at 22, and Alicia Starr sent the fans home happy with a kill to clinch the win.STAT OF THE MATCHNot only did Legros have a career night in total kills, but the senior pin also hit .429 over her 49 attempts and had five digs and made zero errors in serve receive despite being the main target for the Tiger servers all night.NOTABLELegros 26 kills are tied for the fifth most in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era (since 2001). The last Gamecock to have more was Juliette Thevenin on Sept. 21, 2013. Koko Atoa-Williams continues to heat up down the stretch, the senior had 12 kills and eight digs Friday against LSU. Over the last three matches, she is averaging 3.10 kills and 3.19 digs per set. Mikayla Shields quietly tallied her second double-double of the season, finishing the match with 13 kills and 11 digs. The win over LSU is the second this season; the Gamecocks had not won back-to-back meetings over the Tigers since 2008. Along with the match being the teams Dig Pink game, it was also Alumni Night for South Carolina. In all, 15 former players and staff were in attendance, including the programs three Hall of Famers - Ashley (Edlund) Heidtke, Heather Larkin and Shonda Cole. QUOTABLE: HEAD COACH SCOTT SWANSONOn Dessaa Legros performance I think her all-around game was just clicking. She passed a 2.5, which is about as good as you could expect and shes not normally one of our better passers. Tonight, she just took it on, and I think because of her confidence in handling that first ball she just caught fire as a hitter... I cant say enough about the effort she put in, she made sure we were going to win the match tonight.UP NEXTThe team will remain home for its Sunday match, welcoming in Texas A&M for a 4 p.m. showdown on the SEC Network. The two teams met just two weeks ago, with the Aggies sweeping Carolina in College Station. 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BOSTON -- After an ominous beginning, Kyle Gibson put a decisive end to Bostons two-game hitting outburst.Gibson allowed a pair of hits in the first inning, then none over the next seven as the Minnesota Twins edged Boston 2-1 Friday night.This team is a good team -- a really good team, Gibson said. Thats a tough lineup to navigate.Gibson navigated it better than anyone else has lately against the Red Sox, who had won three straight and nine of 10. Mookie Betts homered for Boston on the second pitch and Xander Bogaerts singled during a brief scare that Gibson got himself out of, then pitched seven more stellar innings.Kind of as a rule of thumb, a solo homer is not gonna beat you whether its the first guy or in the seventh inning, Gibson said. You just get it out of your mind and get back to attacking guys and making pitches.Brian Dozier hit a solo home run for the Twins in the second inning and Miguel Sano added an RBI single in the sixth. It was all the scoring Minnesota needed as Gibson (3-6) did the rest before Brandon Kintzler took over and survived a wild bottom half of the ninth.Kintzler got his seventh save, preserving the lead in a wild bottom half of the ninth. Michael Martinez and Dustin Pedroia started the inning with consecutive singles and Bogaerts walked to load the bases with nobody out and slugger David Ortiz coming up next.Ortiz hit a grounder to second, which Dozier threw home for the force out and catcher Juan Centeno doubled up Ortiz at first.You dont want really want Papi to come up in the situation, but hes still a groundball away from two outs, Kintzler said.Its not like I drew it up like that. But thats what it is. Its one of those moments where either hes going to beat me or Im gonna get him.Hanley Ramirez lined out to right to end the game and Bostons three-game winning streak.The Red Sox got a leadoff homer Betts for the second straight night. Dustin Pedroia struck out, but reached first safely when catcher Juan Centeno couldnt stop a wild pitch and Bogaerts followed with a single. That was the last hit for Boston until the Red Sox threatened in the ninth.Gibson was the story, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. He settled down, minimized the damage in the first, and then he just started making pitch after pitch, inning after inning.The Red Sox had 33 hits in their previous two games, including 17 Thursday night in a 13-2 rout of the Twins. Gibson quickly cooled off Bostons batters after the scare in the first.I dont know but he should keep on throwiing it the rest of the season, Ortiz said when asked what Gibson threw that was so effective.ddddddddddddIf the game would have been that easy, it wouldnt be the way it is. They know how to get a hitter out. They know how to get that done. Its not always going to work in our way. Sometimes its going to work in their way, too.Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out eight and walked one over 5 1/3 innings for Boston. Joe Mauer was the only batter Rodriguez walked, reaching with one out in the sixth before Heath Hembree took over for the Red Sox.TOUGH TWINSGibsons performance was exactly what the Twins needed after the humbling results in the series opener Thursday.Coming in here and facing this team, as hot as they are, and the way they are swinging the bats and the way we got pummeled last night, I thought it was a really impressive rebound by him to help us get back on track and give us a chance to win, manager Paul Molitor said.MISSING MOOKIEBetts did not take the field with the Red Sox in the top of the fifth. Martinez took over in right field and the Red Sox announced a few minutes later that Betts had left the game with soreness in his right knee.Betts, an All-Star Game starter, leads the Red Sox with 127 hits and is second on the club with 20 home runs and 63 RBI. He was considered day-to-day and manager John Farrell wasnt sure when he could return to the lineup.We wouldnt take any risks with Mookie, certainly, Farrell said.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: C Kurt Suzuki was not in the starting lineup for the Twins, getting some rest and avoiding the heat. The temperature at gametime was 92 degrees. Manager Paul Molitor said Suzuki should return Saturday.Red Sox: Betts left the game in the fifth inning with soreness in his right knee. RHP Junichi Tazawa (right shoulder impingement) returned to the roster after being activated from the 15-day DL.UP NEXTTwins: RHP Ricky Nolasco (4-8, 5.02) gets his team-high 20th start. Nolasco also shares the team lead for losses, picking up his eighth Monday despite holding Detroit to one run on three hits and three walks in six innings.Red Sox: LHP David Price (9-7, 4.36) gets his first start since taking the loss Sunday when the Yankees ended Bostons six-game winning streak. Price struck out just one batter in 5 2/3 innings, ending a string of three straight starts with at least 10 strikeouts. ' ' '