South Carolina drops seventh series in a row with shutout loss at Missouri

South Carolina baseball’s struggles this season just don’t seem to end.

The Gamecocks dropped Saturday’s game at Missouri 11-0 to lose their seventh SEC series in seven tries. USC (25-19, 5-15 SEC) fell behind early and couldn’t solve Tigers All-American TJ Sikkema (5-3).

USC needed a Luke Berryhill single in the ninth to avoid a no-hitter.

The Tigers (29-15-1, 8-10-1) got all the runs they’d need in the third inning. A hit by pitch and intentional walk put two runners on and Peter Zimmermann’s RBI double knocked in a run. It nearly sent in two, but Kameron Misner was thrown out at home after a replay review.

Mizzou added eight runs in the bottom of the seventh and two more an inning later, forcing the Gamecocks to throw five pitchers in the frame (three didn’t record an out). But the Tigers wouldn’t need all of it as Sikkema struck out 10 in seven innings.

USC wasted a good outing by Cam Tringali, who allowed three runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out six. He left a 1-0 game, but the bullpen let two inherited runners score. It was a career high in strikeouts and innings for him.

Up next: The series wraps up at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday.