Another late collapse sends USC to 7th straight SEC series loss
The level of competition went down, but South Carolina’s inability to win a series remained the same.
The Gamecocks (30-20, 12-15 SEC) blew a one-run lead in the eighth inningagain and dropped the series finale to Missouri 5-3 on Sunday at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
The Tigers (31-21, 11-16) entered the weekend 9-15 in the SEC but that did not keep them from winning two of three against South Carolina.
The Gamecocks went from 1998 to 2014, 17 years, without losing seven SEC series in a season. USC has lost seven SEC series two times in the past three years.
“Congratulations to Missouri. They were awfully tough to get out there in the eighth inning,” Carolina coach Chad Holbrook said. “We helped them. We had our opportunities to go up by more than one run. We didn’t capitalize on our opportunities. Their pitching staff put four zeros up on the board after the fifth, and three runs wasn’t good enough to get it done.”
USC led 3-2 entering the eighth but was unable to hold the lead as Josh Reagan gave up a double and a single to allow the Tigers to tie the game.
Reagan was replaced by Tyler Johnson, who recorded the second out of the inning on a strikeout, but a balk by Johnson followed by a wild pitch gave Missouri a 4-3 lead. Johnson also gave up an RBI single before getting out of the inning.
South Carolina is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, even if it sweeps Georgia next weekend, as USC’s three series wins would be over the three worst teams in the SEC.
LT Tolbert had three hits for the Gamecocks, while Jacob Olson was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
Reed Scott got the start for USC and allowed two runs in five innings.
South Carolina returns to action Tuesday hosting USC Upstate.
USC | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | 0 |
Tolbert ss | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Bride 3b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Cortes lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Olson rf | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Destino dh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Hogan 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Williams 1b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hopkins cf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taylor c | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Row 2b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
TOTALS | 34 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
Missouri | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | k |
Brumfield cf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Harris dh | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Glendinning 2b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Bond c | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Misner lf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
McGuire rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Samples 3b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Sharp 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Berler ph/1b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Cornelius ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
TOTALS | 28 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
USC | 002 | 010 | 000 | — | 3 |
Missouri | 200 | 000 | 03x | — | 5 |
E — Scott (1). DP — S. Carolina 1. LOB — S. Carolina 10; Missouri 4. 2B — Olson (10); Cornelius (10). HR — Bond (10). SH — Bride (8). SB — Cortes (3). CS — Bond (1).
USC | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
Scott | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Reagan L, 5-2 | 2 1/3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Johnson | 2/3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Missouri | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
De Oca | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
Toelken W, 4-3 | 3 1/3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Plassmeyer S, 1 | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
WP — Johnson (2). BK — Johnson (1). Umpires — HP: David Wiley; 1B: Rickey Armstrong; 2B: Morris Hodges; 3B: Damien Beal. T — 2:48 A — 864.
This story was originally published May 14, 2017 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Another late collapse sends USC to 7th straight SEC series loss."