First start, first win, first save: USC’s pitchers rack up milestones in midweek game

John Gilreath, Sawyer Bridges and Eddy Demurias are at three very different points in their careers for South Carolina baseball. But on Tuesday evening at Founders Park, each pitcher did something they’ve never done before, and it all added up for a 5-2 Gamecocks win over North Florida.

First, Gilreath, a 17-year-old freshman midyear enrollee, took the mound for USC for the first time as a starter. The Rock Hill, S.C., native had already made his first career appearance this past Friday from the bullpen, but it seemed early on that he might still have some nerves, surrendering a leadoff double to start the game.

But from there on out, Gilreath was all but untouchable, retiring 11 of the next 12 batters and striking out four through four shutout innings.

“Two baserunners in four innings, you got to tip your cap to that kid,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “He’s a kid that’s as excited to be a Gamecock as anybody we have. ... The good thing for us is he’s really good. He’s a really good pitcher, features really good command, a fastball at 92 (mph) I saw today, just a kid that’s going to keep getting better.”

In two appearances now, Gilreath has yet to allow a run through eight innings, and Kingston said moving forward he could see the young left-hander continue to start midweek games, serve as a reliever or even potentially start on the weekend.

Gilreath was replaced Tuesday by sophomore Sawyer Bridges, making his second appearance since missing most of last year with a torn rotator cuff. Bridges actually struggled in his first inning, allowing two runs to tie the game, but he recovered for a scoreless sixth inning and eventually earned credit for the win, his first as a Gamecock.

Bridges said he felt physically fine during the outing, his second appearance of the year, and although he obviously was disappointed by the runs he gave up, he added that he felt he was throwing strikes throughout his two innings. The most important thing, he said, was finally being able to contribute after all the time he missed due to injury.

“When I first found out (about the injury), it was hard, but ... some of my buddies picked me up and told me my work ethic would help me get through it, so just all season I was trying to get back, get healthy and be able to help this team win,” Bridges said. “It feels good to be back, that’s for sure. It feels better to be in that locker room with those guys and be part of the team.”

Finally, junior college transfer Eddy Demurias came in for the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings, securing the win and his first save with the Gamecocks since Kingston named him the team’s closer this preseason.

Like Bridges, Demurias wasn’t perfect, walking two batters in the eighth and getting himself into a jam he eventually escaped with a double play. But he did display the attitude Kingston wants from his closer.

“He wants to be perfect, and we’d love for him to be perfect,” Kingston said. “The two walks would be the one thing we’d look at and say, hey, we can’t have that, but for the most part he got out of the jam, and that’s what you need. You need a closer that has the guts to get out of a little bit of a jam if he gets in one.”

“Just staying within myself, staying composed,” Demurias said of what Kingston asks of him. “Obviously I had a couple walks, but I didn’t let it affect the next batter, so just moving onto the next hitter, staying locked in on what my job is, stuff like that.”

South Carolina hosts Winthrop for its fifth game in six days on Wednesday. First pitch at Founders Park is scheduled for 4 p.m.

This story was originally published February 20, 2018 at 9:53 PM with the headline "First start, first win, first save: USC’s pitchers rack up milestones in midweek game."