Gamecocks fall apart, lose to Auburn 6-2

One day after playing its most complete game of the season, the South Carolina baseball team fell apart.

The Gamecocks squandered a late lead in a 6-2 loss to Auburn on Saturday afternoon at Carolina Stadium. They collected five hits, the bullpen allowed all six runs and the infield made two key errors.

USC coach Chad Holbrook was disappointed to see a 2-0 lead going into the seventh inning evaporate as the Tigers scored two runs in the each of the final three innings.

“We didn’t play clean baseball the last three innings of the game,” he said.

The teams conclude the series Sunday at 2 p.m. The rubber game will be televised on ESPNU.

Senior right-hander Cody Mincey (2-3), one of six USC relievers, took the loss, while Auburn right-hander Rocky McCord (5-3) threw seven solid innings. He used an effective slider and cutter to allow one earned run on four hits and three walks as the Tigers rebounded from Friday’s 10-1 loss.

“It means a lot. We’re looking for a road series win. We haven’t had one yet. For us to bounce back after that thrashing last night was good,” McCord said. “What happened last night was probably good for us. We had been on a good little winning streak, and our heads were a little bit higher than they should be. They kind of humbled us.”

Auburn scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on Daniel Robert’s sacrifice fly. The Tigers added an insurance run the same inning on an error by second baseman Max Schrock to make it 4-2. They collected two more in the ninth on a squeeze bunt by Kyler Deese, a throwing error by pitcher John Parke, and an RBI single by Melvin Gray.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks couldn’t score after the third inning as they managed three singles in the final six innings. But Holbrook credited the Auburn pitching instead of questioning the approach of his hitters.

“I was unhappy with the results. I wasn’t unhappy with their effort,” he said. “They didn’t lay down. I had no problem with our competitiveness.”

The Gamecocks (27-20, 10-13 SEC) took an early 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and third innings. Connor Bright had an RBI groundout in the second, and Elliott Caldwell drew a bases-loaded walk for the run in the third.

The Tigers (31-17, 11-12) evened the score at 2 in the seventh inning on RBI singles by Cody Nulph and Sam Gillikin as the USC bullpen let a strong outing by starter Taylor Widener slip away. Widener allowed no runs on one hits with seven strikeouts in five-plus innings.

“They pitched their closer. It’s going to be tough,” Auburn coach Sunny Golloway said. “You don’t have to score against him, you’ve got to stay close and you’ve got to keep competing. He isn’t going to go nine innings, he isn’t, and when they go to the bullpen, you jump on them. That was our plan, and it worked.”

Holbrook lamented how his team left the bases loaded in the third inning and stranded runners on third base in the second and fifth innings.

“When we have an opportunity, we have to maximize our chances, and we didn’t,” Holbrook said. “It’s asking too much of our pitching staff to hold Auburn off and win the game 2-0 or 2-1. They’re too solid of a team offensively.”

The Gamecocks hope to claim their third SEC series win of the season Sunday.

“We know how important the game is tomorrow, the rubber game of the series,” Caldwell said. “We need to come out more aggressive.”

Holbrook realizes his team needs a win to keep its postseason hopes alive.

“It’s be a great series win to beat a team with an RPI in the top 20,” he said. “It’s an important game for a lot of reasons. I hope our guys come down here in the right frame of mind and compete their tails off.”

This story was originally published May 2, 2015 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Gamecocks fall apart, lose to Auburn 6-2."