It was yet another game of missed opportunities for South Carolina on Sunday, and this, combined with a few pitch fights and sloppy defense, resulted in a loss and the Gamecocks’ first sweep this season.
Texas won a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a single from Zach Zubia RBI, but that advantage was short-lived, as the USC tied the game in the next inning. Andrew Eyster was hit by a pitch to start things off, Braylen Wimmer chose and George Callil hit a base hit with two outs to load the bases before a wild shot brought the tie round. The Longhorns responded at the end of the shift, rising 2 to 1 on a Mitchell Daly fly. The Gamecocks responded again, however, with a solo shot by Wes Clarke tying the game in the third.
Unfortunately, things changed after that. Texas scored two runs at the bottom of the third in a double RBI by Ivan Melendez and a single Cam Williams RBI, giving them a 4-2 lead. They managed four more races in the next inning, courtesy of a flight from Zubia, a double Petrinsky DJ from two races and an RBI single from Trey Faltine, which put the Longhorns at 8-2.
Carolina had a lap in the fifth inning when Wimmer scored on a wild field to make the score 8-3, so the last two races of the game came in the ninth. Clarke walked to lead, Josiah Sightler chose, Wimmer came up with a basic one-out RBI hit to make it an 8-4 game, and Connor Cino provided an RBI pinch single.
USC starter Julian Bosnic had a difficult exit, throwing three entries and giving up four strokes and six runs, while walking four batters and hitting three out. He took defeat and dropped to 1-1. Andrew Peters, Will Sanders, Wesley Sweatt, Sightler and Brett Kerry also made the decision in this game. Longhorn reliever Tanner Witt won the victory and is now 2-0. Wimmer led the Cocks on the tray with four hits, and he, Clarke and Cino each registered an RBI.
South Carolina is now 11-3 in the season, while Texas is 11-5. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Tuesday, when they will host Davidson. The first performance is scheduled for 7 pm in Columbia.