Missed opportunities play major role in South Carolina loss to Florida in series finale
Carlos Cortes threw the barrel down before he left the batter’s box, a symbol of frustration in South Carolina’s 3-2 loss to Florida on Sunday afternoon.
In searching for their first series win over the Gators in seven years, the Gamecocks left 10 runners on base. They were 2-for-16 with runners on base and 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
"You've got to get guys on base and you got to get them in," said USC coach Mark Kingston, "but the guy (Florida starter Tyler Dyson) is throwing 98 mph. It's not easy. Our guys battled. They put the ball in play. Sometimes the ball finds holes, sometimes it doesn't."
The finale to SEC opening weekend offered USC (13-7, 1-2) more than a few game-breaking opportunities. There was Jonah Bride lining out in the first inning, leaving LT Tolbert at second base and Matt Williams at first. Tolbert and Williams were stuck in those positions in the fifth after Cortes struck out. In the sixth, after Carolina gained momentum from a leadoff home run from Jacob Olson, Noah Campbell grounded into a threat-ending double play.
The second-ranked Gators (18-4, 2-1) benefited from clutch pitching. Dyson, one of the top prospects for the 2019 MLB draft, battled for five innings, allowing six hits, but just one run. He struck out five and walked two. Jordan Butler and Michael Byrne then provided scoreless relief.
"I think we just need to keep doing what we're doing," said Olson, who has already matched his home run total from last season with six. "We're hitting the ball hard, so I think if we just stick with it, they'll start to fall."
USC (six) out-hit Florida (four) for a second straight game.
"We faced another first rounder today and we took great at-bats all day," Kingston said. "Didn't get as many hits as we did yesterday, but we only struck out five times in five innings against that guy. Made him throw 115 pitches in five innings, which is a really, really good job for our offense."
The Gators got a leadoff home run in the first inning from Wil Dalton. They extended their advantage to 3-0 in the fourth with a JJ Schwarz homer and Deacon Liput RBI sacrifice fly.
USC starter Ridge Chapman lasted four innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits. He created his own trouble in the fourth by plunking Jonathan India and then tossing low on his pick-off attempt, allowing India to get to the third base. Liput’s sac fly followed.
"The difference in that game, obviously, was the pick-off attempt that went away from our first baseman and the next guy hit a sac fly," Kingston said. "Really, that was the difference in the ballgame."
Carolina, which hasn’t taken a series against Florida since 2011, is back in action Tuesday at The Citadel.
The Gamecocks outscored the Gators, 20-17, for the weekend.
"Our job is to go toe-to-toe with anybody, and we did that," Kingston said. "We came up one run short today from winning the series.
"It doesn't mean we haven't gotten stronger, it doesn't mean we're not learning more about our team, it doesn't mean we're not making more progress that will help us down the road. We did lose today and it's very disappointing, but we are getting better, we are getting closer and we're getting stronger as a team."
Note: Junior outfielder TJ Hopkins only appeared as a pinch-runner Sunday. He suffered a bruise hand in Saturday's game. Kingston labeled Hopkins' status as day-to-day. "I'm hoping by Tuesday, TJ will be back in (the lineup). If not, hopefully by the weekend (series at Georgia)."
This story was originally published March 18, 2018 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Missed opportunities play major role in South Carolina loss to Florida in series finale."