South Carolina rallies, then falls to Ole Miss in extra innings to drop series finale
South Carolina died, lived, then died again by the solo home run against Ole Miss on Sunday, falling to the Rebels, 6-5, in a seesaw series finale.
The Rebels and Gamecocks (28-19, 13-11 SEC) combined for six one-run long balls at Founders Park, but Mississippi got the majority with four homers and added two sacrifice flies that gave it the edge it needed to avoid the sweep.
"Disappointed we didn't win the game, obviously," USC coach Mark Kingston said. "That's a really good team in the other dugout. Both teams really played hard to win, but I just told my team that when a top-five team comes into your park and is happy to win one game, it must mean we're getting pretty good."
USC sophomore righty starter Cody Morris struck out five, but he also struggled with efficiency, needing 69 pitches to get through 3 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and two walks in the process.
"He needs to get ahead of hitters. Six hits, two walks in three innings, that's just, for a guy with his stuff, that needs to be better," Kingston said. " ... At some point we need the light to go on for him and to be a dominant guy, because we need better starting pitching than what we've got the past few weeks."
The real damage for Morris came in the top of the second inning as Ole Miss junior designated hitter Chase Cockrell and sophomore left fielder Thomas Dillard connected on a pair of solo home runs to give the Rebels an early lead.
Setting the tone for the rest of the game, however, South Carolina came right back in the bottom of the third inning with two manufactured runs to tie the game, as junior right fielder Jacob Olson singled, senior catcher Hunter Taylor reached on a fielder's choice, and senior designated hitter Madison Stokes connected for a two-out single to right field that scored both runners.
There would be more two more ties and two lead changes.
Ole Miss retook the lead in the fifth with another solo home run, this time from junior catcher Nick Fortes off junior reliever Eddy Demurias. In the bottom half of the inning, though, USC tied things up again with singles from Stokes and senior third baseman Jonah Bride, a hit by pitch for senior second baseman Justin Row and a bases-loaded walk for junior shortstop LT Tolbert.
In the bottom of the sixth, South Carolina took a two-run lead on solo shots from Taylor and sophomore left fielder Carlos Cortes.
Ole Miss came right back, however. In the seventh inning, Fortes singled and junior right fielder Ryan Olenek doubled, followed by a sacrifice fly from sophomore first baseman Cole Zabowski. In the eighth, Cockrell blasted a moon shot off Demurias for Ole Miss' fourth long ball of the game, tying a season high for USC pitching.
"Eddy, he's our go-to guy out of the bullpen right now. He did a good job," Kingston said. "The one home run that tied the game was just a two-strike pitch he left way up in the zone that we all wish he could have back, I'm sure he wishes he could have it back. He goes out there and he competes his butt off for you, so if we go down with Eddy out there, I can live with it."
South Carolina looked primed to retake the lead in the bottom half of the eighth as Olson led things off with a double and advanced to third on a single to left field from Taylor. With runners on the corners, no outs and the top of the lineup at the plate, the Gamecocks couldn't push a run across, with a lineout, pop up and strikeout from Stokes to end the inning.
"We thought for sure we'd get the run in at that point, first and third, nobody out, top of your lineup coming up. It just wasn't meant to be," coach Mark Kingston said. "Guys gave it everything they had, just wasn't meant to be."
After a scoreless ninth, Ole Miss broke the tie in the top of the 10th with a single from senior Will Golsan, a double from freshman Tyler Keenan and a sacrifice fly to Cockrell to make it 6-5.
In the bottom half of the 10th, Olson and Taylor each singled, and Cortes loaded the bases after a throwing error from Ole Miss' second baseman. Stokes, however, struck out for the second consecutive at-bat to end the game.
"Nobody's more disappointed than him right now, so we'll be sure we're there to pick him up," Kingston said.
THREE POINTS
Star of the game: Hunter Taylor started the game 0-2, but he reeled off three consecutive hits after that, including a tie-breaking home run and a single in the bottom of the 10th.
Play of the game: With Jacob Olson on second in the bottom of the eighth, Hunter Taylor laced a ground ball through the left side of the infield. Olson had to hold up to let the ball clear the basepath, and he was held at third by coach Stuart Lake. It was the right call with the top of the lineup coming up, but after three consecutive outs, it still hurts to look back on.
"To send him home there would have been a very foolish decision," Kingston said afterward.
Stat of the game: 2-16 hitting with runners in scoring position for South Carolina, including 13 runners left on base.
NEXT
Who: South Carolina (28-19, 13-11 SEC) vs. College of Charleston (32-16, 14-7 CAA)
When: 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 9
Where: Spirit Communications Park, Columbia, South Carolina
Watch: TBA
Listen: 107.5 FM
Probable pitchers: South Carolina — Fr. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (2-4, 4.02 ERA); College of Charleston — TBA
This story was originally published May 6, 2018 at 4:21 PM with the headline "South Carolina rallies, then falls to Ole Miss in extra innings to drop series finale."