South Carolina can’t rally past No. 15 Auburn, drops to 1-6 in SEC play
It was an ideal opening act.
Daniel Lloyd, the latest South Carolina pitcher to get his crack at a Friday night start, not only set down Auburn in order, he did it with style. Swinging, looking, swinging. Three Tigers, three strikeouts. Lloyd, a freshman, was touching 93 mph on the Founders Park radar gun, perhaps a sign this chilly USC team was going to heat up after all.
But by the middle of the second inning, some momentum had worn off. The 15th-ranked Tigers had strung together enough hits to put pressure on the USC offense the rest of the evening. There was only so much Lloyd could do without a ton of support.
South Carolina’s lineup struggles continued in a 4-2 loss to Auburn.
The Gamecocks (16-10, 1-6 SEC) got a two-run homer from Noah Campbell, but not much else against Auburn ace Tanner Burns. Regarded as one of the top arms in the country, Burns came as advertised in helping the Tigers improve to 21-5 (5-2 SEC). The right-hander allowed four hits, two runs and stuck out seven batters over 6 2/3 innings.
“I thought there was a clear commitment and we saw some benefits of the work we put in this week,” said USC coach Mark Kingston. “Obviously it only turned into four hits and two runs, however we only had (seven) strikeouts against arguably the top pitcher in the country and hit two or three balls to the wall that on some days are home runs.
“We definitely saw an improved compete level from our hitters and I told them after the game we need to continue that. If we do, we’ll turn this thing around.”
Burns, a sophomore, was making his 24th straight start to his Auburn career. Lloyd was making just his third. The Summerville native did his job, lasting a career-long five innings, striking out eight batters, walking two and allowing three runs on six hits.
“Only walked two guys and had eight strikeouts on a Friday night in the SEC,” Kingston said, “that’s everything you can ask for out of a freshman.”
The three runs all came in the second inning as the Tigers had four straight singles, the last from Judd Ward to make it a 3-0 advantage.
“I was throwing strikes,” Lloyd said. “They were just hitting everything. I was throwing it right there. I had to work around that. I just think I got a little out of breath. I like to have a little rhythm and I got out of that. Once I got back on it, I was straight after that.”
South Carolina, which entered last in the SEC in batting average and hits, didn’t have a runner in scoring position until the fifth inning. T.J. Hopkins reached on a throwing error to lead off the sixth and Campbell followed by belting his fourth HR of the season.
The Gamecocks threatened in the eighth when Hopkins led off with a walk and was moved over with a Campbell bunt. But neither Jacob Olson nor Luke Berryhill could produce against Auburn reliever Elliott Anderson.
The Tigers added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with an RBI double from Rankin Woley.
Carolina was a few feet from tying things in the bottom of the ninth when Brady Allen, with a runner at first, flew out to the warning track in right.
USC is 1-6 in the SEC for the first time since 1992, its first season in the league.
“The frustration level is we want to win,” Kingston said. “We keep losing close games.”
Next: Game 2 of this series begins 1 p.m. Saturday. South Carolina is scheduled to throw righty Reid Morgan (2-0, 2.56 ERA) against Auburn lefty Brooks Fuller (1-0, 1.62).
Andrew Ramspacher: @ARamspacher
Auburn | 030 | 000 | 001 | - | 4 |
USC | 000 | 002 | 000 | - | 2 |
Scoring summary
2nd inning
Auburn: Conor Davis RBI single (1-0 Auburn)
Auburn: Kason Howell RBI single (2-0 Auburn)
Auburn: Judd Ward RBI single (3-0 Auburn)
6th inning
South Carolina: Noah Campbell 2-run home run (3-2 Auburn)
9th inning
Auburn: Rankin Woley RBI double (4-2 Auburn)
Andrew Ramspacher: @ARamspacher
This story was originally published March 29, 2019 at 10:09 PM.
