South Carolina baseball’s Friday night struggles continue against Missouri

South Carolina baseball has had all sorts of trouble opening series in SEC play.

That problem didn’t abate as the Gamecocks traveled to Columbia Missouri.

USC didn’t score in the game’s final six innings, letting a two-run lead slip away in a 5-2 loss. South Carolina is winless in seven SEC series Game 1s (it did win a Friday night Game 2 against Florida).

South Carolina (24-18, 5-14) fell behind for good in the bottom of the sixth, when Reid Morgan gave up a leadoff double, a bunt single after a fielder collided with him and then let the run score on a wild pitch. Missouri (28-15-1, 8-10-1) added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Morgan went six innings on 104 pitches, allowing three earned runs, but had some rough moments with the wild pitch and a pair of balks. One of those let Chris Cornelius score in the bottom of the third, tying the game moments after Peter Zimmermann drove in Missouri’s first run.

The Gamecocks had gone up 2-0 in the top of the frame with Andrew Eyster drove in Luke Berryhill and George Callil.

South Carolina left at least one runner on in each of the first seven innings, including two in the fifth and sixth.

Up next: The teams will face off for Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday.