Gamecocks can’t get out of the gate, drop series opener to Georgia

South Carolina went from 1998 through 2014 without finishing under .500 in SEC play. The Gamecocks will now do so twice in three years.

Georgia topped USC 6-3 Thursday night at Founders Park to take Game 1 of the series and put Carolina’s SEC record at 12-16 with two games remaining.

Without a series win this weekend, the Gamecocks will likely need to win the SEC tournament next week to make the postseason.

South Carolina has not recorded a win at the conference tournament since 2012.

“It was obviously a disappointing loss, but got two more big games to play and we’ll come ready to go tomorrow,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said.

Carolina was dominated statistically in the three-run loss, surrendering 14 hits and managing five.

The Gamecocks also committed two errors and allowed two passed balls while falling to 31-22 overall. Georgia improves to 24-30 and 10-18 in the SEC.

Georgia took a 4-0 lead in the second inning, scoring all four runs off Carolina starter Wil Crowe with two outs.

Austin Biggar hit an infield RBI single to get the Bulldogs on the board before Tucker Bradley followed with a double to deep left to score two. UGA pushed the lead to 4-0 on a passed ball by Hunter Taylor.

“Bloop hit here, bloop hit there, and then a guy hit a good pitch the other way. I’ve got to give them credit. They put some good swings on some good pitches,” Crowe said. “It sucks that it went this way, but I felt like I did everything I could to give us a chance. It just didn’t turn out in our favor today.”

The junior was making what will likely be his final start at Founders Park as he is expected to be picked early in next month’s MLB draft.

Crowe exited the game after 6 2/3 innings to a standing ovation. He did not give up a run after the second inning.

“I’m extremely blessed to play here,” he said. “The fans have been amazing to me and my family through everything that I went through. It was emotional, and I was happy they did that for me.”

Carolina’s first base runner did not reach until the fourth inning when Carlos Cortes singled with two outs.

USC finally got on the board in the seventh inning when Jonah Bride hit an RBI double.

UGA added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning before Alex Destino scored two with a double off the wall in left in the bottom of the ninth.

Georgia starter Andrew Gist, who entered with a 2-4 record, held the Gamecocks to three hits in eight innings of work.

“I would have liked us to be a lot more aggressive than I saw tonight, obviously,” Holbrook said. “Sometimes you can be extremely aggressive and the results won’t change, but he had us on our heels for sure.”

Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night at 7 p.m.

This story was originally published May 18, 2017 at 10:11 PM with the headline "Gamecocks can’t get out of the gate, drop series opener to Georgia."