Furman extends Gamecocks’ midweek blues
South Carolina’s forward momentum after winning last weekend’s Vanderbilt series hit a wall Tuesday night at Fluor Field.
The Gamecocks dropped their fourth midweek game to an instate opponent this season with a 2-1 loss to Furman. They previously lost midweek contests to Winthrop, Coastal Carolina and Presbyterian.
After playing well in knocking off the Commodores, the Gamecocks (25-17) mustered four hits.
“We played great defense for the most part. Our pitchers were terrific. They did all we could ask them to do against a really good hitting team,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “We just didn’t do enough offensively. It was a very disappointing performance by our position players from a hitting standpoint. It’s disappointing to walk out of here with a loss.”
USC third baseman DC Arendas, who drove in the team’s only run with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, admitted the Gamecocks are being plagued by their inability to put together all phases of the game.
“Furman played a better game than we did. They played a more complete game. We know we have to become more consistent if we want to play at a high level. We felt did we did this weekend. We didn’t tonight,” Arendas said. “Our energy was there. Our enthusiasm for the game was there. We just didn’t play well tonight. I think it was pretty simple.”
Furman sophomore right-hander Matthew Quarles (4-1) threw seven innings, as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Senior right-hander Elliott Warford pitched two scoreless innings for his fourth save. He struck out the middle of the USC lineup – Max Schrock, Kyle Martin and Elliott Caldwell, who combined to go 0-for-11 – in the ninth with the tying run on second base.
“Give credit to Furman’s two arms. They threw the ball very, very well. They located their pitches. They were better on the mound than our hitters were. That’s the reason they won,” Holbrook said. “When Max and Elliott and K-Mart struggle swinging the bat, it magnifies things from an offensive standpoint. They had a tough night.”
The Gamecocks next travel to Tennessee for a three-game SEC series against the Volunteers that starts Friday night. Holbrook knows his players must compete better on the road, where they’ve posted a 3-10 record this season.
“That’s embarrassing,” Holbrook said. “We just can’t get that big hit. We can’t get someone to step up and win a big game on the road. This was a big game. We’ve put ourselves in a position where every game is big, and for us to come out here and not perform offensively the way we’re capable is disappointing.”
Outfielder Gene Cone, who had a pair of hits and scored the only run after hitting a leadoff triple in the fourth, believes the team can rebound.
“It is a little disappointing after that big series (against Vanderbilt). You just flush it and move ahead,” Cone said. “We’ll be fine, just keep pushing and fighting. We’ll go up there (to Tennessee) and battle and hopefully win games.”
The Paladins (19-20) evened the score in the fourth when Chris Ohmstede blooped an RBI double into shallow right field. They took the lead the following inning when Cameron Whitehead blasted a solo home run over the green monster off USC starter Reed Scott (1-2).
Quarles and Warford did the rest as they combined to strike out 10 Gamecocks. Furman also defeated USC at Fluor Field in 2011 and 2013.
“It’s a great win,” Quarles said. “We’ve always been looking to beat these guys. Obviously, we want to win every game, but it’s a big win for us.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 9:54 PM with the headline "Furman extends Gamecocks’ midweek blues."